


Juliet and Her Romeo

by kasey8473



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-06 18:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8764594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasey8473/pseuds/kasey8473
Summary: AU: The crew have an honest job for once: transfer Colyn Fortuna, the son of a famous singer, from a space station to his home.  But his presence on the Raza proves troublesome when he and Five decide they’re soul mates.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Companion piece to The Scoundrel Gentleman.

Two woke up in bed with Three. 

She laid still for a few minutes, hand resting on his bare chest as she pondered the fact that not only had they not been drinking heavily the night before, they’d actually discussed the consequences of this _before_ going to his quarters.  This hadn’t been an impulsive decision.  No alcohol fueled, hormonal booty call.  They’d decided, as adults, to change the direction of their relationship and see where it went.

And in the first minutes of morning, it was sort of freaking her out.

The last adult decision she’d made of this sort had ended abruptly with One’s death.  They’d been left unfinished and she still felt a bit of a hole in her from the loss of him.  She hardly wanted fresh holes and if this went forward, there was a great likelihood of that same thing happening once more.  Their lives really weren’t conducive to long, lasting relationships.

Raising up onto her elbow, she studied Three as well as she could in the darkness.  She thought she was beginning to see the man he could’ve been if his life hadn’t been turned upside down by the murder of his parents.  She could see the man Sarah had fallen in love with; the man she herself was beginning to feel something more for.  Little bits of the core man he was were peeking out, softening the rough edges.

There were layers to him that were yet to be uncovered and she wanted to be there when they were peeled away.

Slowly, she got dressed and sat down on the bedside to put her boots on.

“Where are you going,” he asked, voice sleepy and warm, a little husky.

“I have a few things I need to check on with the Android.”

His hand stretched out, fingers curving about her wrist, thumb lightly caressing.  “Stay.”  The grip was light, barely anything at all.  She could easily pull away.  He wasn’t physically trying to keep her there.

On impulse, she leaned down and over, pressing a kiss to his lips and sitting back before he could tempt her to stay.  “Go back to sleep.  It’s early.  I’ll stay another morning.”

Three released her wrist.  “Promise?”

“Yes.”  Now it was out there, that promise.  It was a thing she’d have to acknowledge later and follow up on.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he replied and she heard the smile in the words.  He would, too.  He’d remind her, probably tonight, that she’d promised to stay in the morning.

Two was only a few steps from his door when Five came around the corner, carefully balancing two cups and a plate of doughnuts.  She looked strangely chipper for as early as it was.

“Do you know if Three’s up yet,” Five asked.

He was probably up, but not in the way Five meant.  “I don’t think so.  Why?”

“We were supposed to have breakfast like half an hour ago.  He’s late, so I thought I’d bring breakfast to him.”

It was a nice thought, but Two could easily imagine him stumbling naked to the door to answer it.  The last thing they needed was Five getting a full frontal view.  Two was fairly sure Five had seen a naked man at some point, having both been a street kid and been on this ship for awhile before the memory wipe.  But, Two wasn’t sure how careful any of their previous selves had been with the teenager around.  Not to mention Five did have all of their memories in her head, which would include personal nudity and sexual situations.  Still, it’d be better to hold off a definite view as long as possible.  “Why don’t I have breakfast with you today?”  A shower and change of clothes could wait.

Five glanced at Three’s door.  “But you don’t like doughnuts.  Or at least you never eat them.  I managed to save one of the raspberry ones and I didn’t even put cayenne pepper in it this time.”

“Cayenne pepper?”

She shook her head, a mischievous gleam in her eyes and smile on her lips.  “Long story.”

“Okay.  I’m willing to try one today.”  She reached for the cups, which looked more in danger of spilling than the plate.  “Let me get those.”

She managed to successfully steer Five back to the mess, but no sooner had they stepped inside than Nyx looked up and whistled low.

“Usually when I do a walk of shame, it’s planet side and have an excuse.  You’re like mere steps from your quarters.”

“Walk of shame?”  Five frowned, her steps slowing as she moved closer to the table.  She turned her head, looked at Two, or rather what Two was _wearing_.  “Dumb,” she whispered, slapping the plate down on the table.  “I am so dumb!  Of course he’d miss breakfast with me.  He was with you and I’m an idiot.”  She hurried from the room before Two could say anything.

Nyx winced.  “Sorry.  I didn’t think.”

“It’s okay.”  She set the two cups down by the plate.  “She’ll cool down.”

“Are you sure?  She looks pretty upset.”

“Three’ll talk to her.”

“Are you sure _that_ will help?  Tact and subtlety aren’t exactly his thing.  He tends to exacerbate situations, not improve them.”

Usually, she’d agree about the tact and subtlety, but with Five, he was different and it’d been building for awhile now.  It was obvious that he cared for the girl.  Like Two did.  And Six.  And she thought even Four did in his own cool way.  Nyx liked Five as well.  They were like family.  Two thought that summed it up rather neatly.  They were all like a family.

* * *

 

The phrase ‘walk of shame’ had been one of the ones Three had mentioned on their outing a few weeks earlier, yet it took Five a moment to remember what it meant.  It meant someone going home the morning after a wild night wearing the clothes they’d worn the day before.  A wild night of….  Since she knew Nyx couldn’t possibly be talking to her, she looked at Two and registered the fact that those were definitely the clothes she’d been wearing the previous day.  She knew they were because Five had often wondered if she would ever have the body confidence to pull off a body hugging top like that without adding something over it to cover up the body hugging part.

Suddenly, she felt horribly stupid and very much the kid Three usually called her.  It was obvious Two and Three had been flirting.  Even she could see that.  They weren’t really subtle about it.  But she’d somehow missed that there was more than flirting going on.  Stupid.  She was stupid.  Of course having breakfast with a teenager wasn’t going to get priority over _that_.  Three made no secret over the fact that he thought _that_ was one of the best things in life.

Five felt even more stupid then because she couldn’t even say the word to herself.

She left the mess as fast as she could and wandered the halls, her arms crossed over her chest and angry thoughts flying through her mind.  He hadn’t had the courtesy to just reschedule instead of standing her up.  Jerk.  Dumbass.  He could have rescheduled.  She wouldn’t have minded.  Well, not much anyway.

In a fit of teenage temper, Five came up with a plan to show him how upset she was….

* * *

 

When he finally got out of bed, Three was struck by the nagging idea that he’d forgotten something.  He sat on the bedside and pondered it for a moment as he stretched and yawned.  He winced a little at the pull on his lower back and smiled to himself.  He didn’t mind that pull because Two was nicely flexible and he’d enjoyed finding that out.  Their previous one-time fling hadn’t really showcased her fantastic flexibility. 

There was something he couldn’t quite bring to the front of his thoughts.  That nagging idea was there when he brushed his teeth and there when he stared at his reflection and tried to decide if he wanted to bother shaving today.  He started a shower and stepped inside.  The temperature was perfect…until the water suddenly went icy cold and his brain kicked in for the day.

“Shit,” he yelled as the cold water seemed to leech all heat from his body.  He fumbled at the tap.  “Shit, shit, shit! Breakfast with the kid.  I forgot breakfast with the kid.” 

He’d forgotten to have breakfast with Five and she knew the inner workings of the ship almost as well as the Android.  He wouldn’t get hot water back to his quarters until he found her and apologized.

“Cold, cold, cold, cold, _cold_.”  He dressed, shivering, and went searching, finally finding her in one of the larger vents.  She was lying down with it open, waiting, and making a pointed comment to herself about inconsiderate men as he approached.  He caught the briefest sound of a sniffle and felt lower than low to know that he’d made her cry.  “I’m sorry, kid.”

“About what?”

“I missed breakfast this morning.”

“Oh, did you?  I didn’t notice.”  The hurt she was feeling was blinding.  It was in her expression, her posture, and her voice.  He’d let her down and been every bit the inconsiderate bastard she’d just called him.  She hadn’t used that word, but it was what she’d meant.

Never in a million years had he ever thought that he’d care this much about hurting her feelings, but he did.  “I did and I’m sorry.”

She snorted.  “You slept with Two and _forgot_ about me.  Forgot.”

“It wasn’t intentional.  The forgetting you part.  The other was.”

“Whatever.”

“Not whatever.  I overslept and I didn’t mean to.  How can I make it up to you?”

That made her pause.  She stared down at him with a slightly suspicious narrowing of her eyes.  “Make it up to me?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.  What can I do make it up to you?  And get hot water back to my quarters?”

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“I like our breakfasts,” he admitted.  He even liked her occasional jokes, like the cayenne pepper mix she’d carefully piped into the raspberry jelly doughnuts one time.  It had been surprisingly tasty in a ‘kill his taste-buds for two days’ way.  Six didn’t get it and neither did Nyx.  He wasn’t sure Two had even noticed and Four, oddly, understood.  That prank had actually made the man smile.  It had been a scarily amused smile, but a smile nonetheless.  “I wouldn’t have missed it on purpose.  You make good coffee.”  Not a lie.  She made less sucktastic coffee than the rest of the crew and didn’t even drink it most of the time.

“You think so?”

“I know so.  And you save me the jelly doughnuts.”  Recently, the crew had decided to have a few casual breakfasts each week, where they didn’t have a full hot breakfast.  Three wasn’t sure it’d last.  Those mornings he was usually starving by lunch, though he’d never admit to Five that the doughnuts didn’t fill him up like they did her.  He’d taken to scrounging for a snack mid-morning.

“I try, but they go fast if I don’t hide a couple.  I don’t know who’s eating them.”

“They do go fast.  So….the water?”

“Oh, that’s just a switch on a panel.  It’s easy to fix.”

Of course, when she said it was just a switch, she usually meant that it was a weird math calculation on a panel that had a switch on it somewhere.  It was never an easy fix.

She looked down at the floor.  “You know, we could have rescheduled.”

“I didn’t think I’d need to.  I wrongly assumed I’d wake up in time.”  And remember he needed to wake up.  And set an alarm the previous night.  He motioned with a hand.  “Why don’t you come down from there?  We can go watch one of those movies.  We have plenty left.”

“We took the big screen down.  We’d have to watch it on a small screen.  It won’t be the same.”  She turned and maneuvered herself out of the vent and to the corridor.

“For most of those movies, we won’t lose much watching on a smaller screen.  Maybe we could rig the big one in one of the empty rooms.”  Two probably wouldn’t go for it, but it was an idea.

“Popcorn?”

“There might be some left.”  He started walking.  “And another pound of candy I hid somewhere in the mess.”  Candy so soon after a breakfast of doughnuts.  Six would have a heart attack about that.  All the more reason to make it happen.

* * *

 

“I think I’ve found a job for us,” Six said to the gathered group.  Five was missing because she was trying to reroute hot water back to Three’s quarters.  In her fit of temper, she’d made some sort of miscalculation and she and the Android were busy puzzling out just what she’d done.

"A job,” Two repeated, scooting her chair in and going into what Six had heard Three call her ‘boss lady mode’.  Her expression became serious and she seemed more alert.

“What kind of job?”  Three opened a bag of veggie chips, offered the package around the table, and when no one took any, started eating.

“Well, I doubt we’ll have to blow anything up or kill anyone, so I’m sure _you_ won’t be interested.”

“I do like to play to my strengths,” he agreed.

Nyx and Four were silent, watching him and waiting for further details.

“I received a message from a friend.  She--”

“She?”  Three perked up.  “We talking friend here or,” his brows shrugged up and down several times, “ _friend_?”

“Drea and I were in training together, but there were…issues and she left to begin advanced bodyguard training instead.”

“What sort of issues?”  Two clasped her hands together on the table top.

The issues didn’t matter and weren’t relevant, but he was very aware that any job he brought them had to check out on every level.  It was a trust issue.  He still couldn’t go onto the stations they stopped at.  That dinner that Three had taken over had actually been Four’s contribution.  Four had promised to contribute a different way since Three had taken it, though he’d yet to reschedule.  “Two other trainees decided she was easy prey.  Small, female.  The usual.  She wounded one slightly and put the other in the infirmary.  He later died from his wounds.  Two influential families went head to head over it.  In the end, she didn’t face charges and it was decided that she’d leave GA training and become a personal bodyguard instead.  She’d protect the family whose son she’d killed.  Penance for the rest of her life or until the family decide they don’t need her anymore.  It’s all public record.  You can check if you like.”

“That’s a sucky deal,” Three stated and held the package out to Two.

She hesitated, then took a couple of the chips.  “Go on.”

“It was a sucky deal.  Still is.”

“What family was it,” Four asked, crossing his arms on the table top.

“The Fortunas.”

“The who?”  Three set the bag aside.

It was Nyx who answered.  “Lilliana Fortuna.  The singer, right?  It’s her family.”  At his nod, she continued.  “One of the Seers is a big fan of hers.  He loves her work.”

“Never heard of her.”  Two brushed crumbs from her hands.

“You wouldn’t,” Six told her, “unless you’re a fan of opera.  She favors the more violent operas and is extremely popular in some social circles.  One probably knew her or of her.  He may have even been to one of her performances.  Anyway, Drea is guarding Lilliana’s son and needs discreet transport.  All we have to do is pick them up at the next station and make the trip to their home world.  Should only take a couple days.”

There was silence a moment.  Three stared at him, then glanced at everyone else.  “Okay, I’ll ask the obvious question here.  Why us?  If she’s some rich singer, why not take the kid on a luxury ship?”

“Because Colyn Fortuna has pissed off some rather difficult individuals.  Drea’s certain that if they try a traditional transport, he’ll be killed.”

“How much is the pay?”  Four’s question was quiet.

Six named the sum Drea had given.  “Plus extra for getting him there alive.  Don’t underestimate the Fortuna name.  We do this successfully and we could have an ally, especially if Lilliana takes a liking to one of us when we arrive.  Drea says Lilliana ‘has a thing for bad boys’.”

“You said we get paid extra for delivering Fortuna alive.  Does that mean we could deliver him dead and still be paid in full?”

Count on Four to notice that little bit.  “It does.  There’s some doubt as to whether anyone can get him home alive.  I believe Drea considers us a last resort.”

“Challenge accepted.”  Three slapped a hand on the table.  “We’re the Raza.  We can handle anything.”

Famous last words, Six wondered?

Slowly, everyone else nodded.  Two sighed.  “Okay.  Tell Drea we accept.”

The door opened and Five came in the room.  She held up her hands.  “Okay, there’s a slight, microscopic, tiny chance that we need to stop somewhere to pick up a few things for me to actually fix the hot water connection….” 


	2. Chapter 2

The woman who stepped aboard was Two’s height, dark haired, and wearing leather so tight that Three wanted to ask where she’d bought it so he could get Two a few things.  Purely because she needed more wardrobe choices.  It had nothing to do with how well he thought she’d fill out such an outfit.

Nothing at all.

He imagined that particular top on Two, the leather hugging her curves, the zipper tugged down to reveal cleavage that could make a grown man cry.

Three discreetly tugged his shirt down a bit more to cover how much he liked that mental image and tried to concentrate.

Six met the woman.  “Drea.  Welcome aboard.”

“Cal.  Good to see you.”  She smiled.  It was a definitely the smile of a friend and not a girlfriend.

“I go by Six now.”

“Six.  Interesting choice.  Tell me the story later?”

“You haven’t heard already?”

She shook her head, smile turning rueful.  “I’m only up on current events if they have anything to do with that celebrity whose sex tapes with her boyfriends keep getting leaked.”

“Callista Courtney,” Three said.  When everyone looked at him, he shrugged.  “I can’t watch entertainment news sometimes?  Chick’s all over it.  You’d have to be under a rock not to know who she is.”  The woman’s only claim to fame were all the sex tapes.  He’d watched one of them and hadn’t been impressed.

"You would have to be, yes,” Drea agreed, staring at him.  He had the odd feeling that she already knew him and wondered when and why they’d crossed paths.  After a moment, she transferred her attention back to Two.  “I’m Drea Mateese.  Primary bodyguard for Colyn Fortuna.”

Two made the introductions on their end.  “Where’s your charge?”

“Yeah….About that….He’s in the station brig in a solitary cell right now.  I’ve requested they keep him sedated.”

“What did he do,” Six asked with a frown.

Amusement appeared in her eyes.  “It wasn’t so much what he did, but what I anticipated he was going to do.  Seventeen year old rich boy?  The possibilities are endless and he’s already tried far too many combinations of things this trip.  I may have lost my patience.  I called in a favor with a trusted man.  My days go so much better when Colyn isn’t conscious.  The past twenty-four hours has been blissful.  I got to go to the spa.  First time in ages.”

“He’s seventeen?”  There was a slight edge to Four’s voice.

“He is,” Drea confirmed with a nod.

“You drugged the kid,” Three asked, suddenly wondering if this was such a good idea after all.  A seventeen year old boy on this ship could be trouble.  Seventeen year old boys had ideas.  Bad ideas that involved getting the panties off of sixteen year old girls and doing things to them.  The girls, not the panties.  Usually.  Since Five was the only one near Colyn’s age, he’d most likely focus on her.  Three shared a glance with Four and thought, by his expression, that they might be on the same wavelength.

“Any time I can arrange it,” she admitted in a cheerful tone.  “I need someone to go with me to retrieve him.  He’ll be groggy and may need to be manhandled.”

Two nodded.  “Fine.  Four, you handle it.”

“I will.”  He gestured at the corridor.  “When you’re ready, Drea.  Lead the way.”

As soon as they were gone, Three pointed a finger around the remaining group.  “Who here besides me is thinking this is a really crap idea after all no matter what the possible pay?”

“You don’t know there’ll be trouble,” Six said, but his expression definitely showed that he thought otherwise.  “You can’t know that.”

“Let’s see here….  A seventeen year old rich boy who is routinely drugged and jailed by his own bodyguard and is in danger of being killed before he can get home.  Yeah, you’re right.  There won’t be any trouble.  What could possibly go wrong in this scenario?”

“Three has a point.”  Nyx shrugged.  “I was thinking that myself.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

“Don’t get used to it,” she returned, crossing her arms.

“Enough.”  Two held up her hands.  “Listen to yourselves.  I think six adults can handle one teenage boy.  We’re the crew of the Raza, remember?  Three, you just said it yesterday.  We’ve bested zombies, soldiers, mad scientists.  We’ve got this.”

Three wasn’t so sure about that.  Especially when Drea and Four returned with the boy and Five showed up to meet the passengers.

The dislike Three felt for Colyn Fortuna was instant, deep, and highly irrational.  It wasn’t something he could explain and he started to get that tingle at the back of his skull, the one that usually meant that all hell was rather close to breaking loose.

* * *

Once she and the Android had the right part, it was easy to fix the water to Three’s quarters.

“I would suggest that you do not take the same action in the future,” the Android said as they walked towards the airlock where the passengers would be arriving.

“I’ll think of something else.  Promise.”

“It would be much easier to change the air temperature in his quarters to something other than optimum.  A few degrees cooler, perhaps.  Make him shiver.  Or warmer.  Make him sweat.  That requires no physical manipulation as the water temperature did.  Unless, of course, there is a parts failure.  Again.”

“Wait….  Are you giving me ideas for next time?”  The Android slid an almost sly glance her way.  “Then you’d be an accessory.”

“I am merely pointing out what would have been an easier course of action.”

“Right.”  She laughed a little.  “You are _so_ cool sometimes.”

“Thank you, Five.  I appreciate the compliment.”

They turned the corner and there he was.  _He_.  The most gorgeous boy she’d ever seen.  Five sucked in a breath.  He was in cargo pants and a t-shirt, with a jacket over it.  The items fit him well.  _Really_ well, emphasizing the broadness of his shoulders and the lean line of his body.  He had dark hair that was styled in the intentionally messy look that was popular and chiseled features that made her want to run her fingers all over them.  Soulful eyes.  They locked gazes and there was the oddest rushing sound in her ears.  It was also suddenly rather warm in the corridor and she felt a bit lightheaded.

The Android continued on past the group.

Two motioned to Five.  “There you are.  Five, this is Colyn Fortuna and his bodyguard, Drea.  They’ll be with us a couple days.”

“Hi,” she managed to say to the completely hot boy standing in her ship’s corridor.

Colyn lifted his chin in a greeting.  “Hey.”

How could one word hold so much meaning?  She smiled. 

He smiled back.  “No one told me there’d be a supermodel on board,” Colyn said, looking her over.  “Girl, you are _fine_.”

Five didn’t quite succeed in holding back a pleased giggle at the compliment.  “I’m not a model.”

“You should be.  We got to hook you up.  I’ve got connections.  If you’re interested.  We could… _talk_ about it later.”

Drea grasped Colyn’s arm.  “I think we should find our quarters and rest a bit.  Cal…I mean, Six, would you show us where we’re staying?”

Before Five could offer to go with them, Three and Four both stepped in front of her, blocking her view and her path.  No matter which way she stepped, they stayed in the way.  It was annoying.  Were they intentionally blocking her path?  Why?  “You guys make a better door than a window,” she snapped.

“Totally the plan, kid,” Three replied.

“It’s lesson time, Five,” Four said, turning to face her.

She stared at him a moment.  He didn’t like giving her lessons in the morning.  Morning was for his own workout, sparring with Nyx, and whatever else he could fit in the hours.  When he’d started giving her lessons in self-defense, he’d made it clear that she was to show up exactly an hour after lunch was completed and be dressed to sweat.  She certainly wasn’t dressed to sweat right now.  “That’s not for like five fours.  It’s nine in the morning.  My lesson is scheduled for after lunch.  It’s always after lunch.  Exactly an hour after lunch.  On days that don’t have anything else scheduled.  In fact, I don’t remember having a lesson scheduled today.  Are you sure you’re remembering right?”

“You should be ready at any time.”

“Damn straight she should.”  Three put his hands on his hips and looked down at her.  “Any time.  That aim won’t improve by itself.”

Five looked back and forth at them, but there was nothing more forthcoming.  Weird.  It was almost like they weren’t talking about self-defense lessons.  Was that it?  Were they doing that adult talk around an issue thing so she didn’t know what they were referring to?  They were, weren’t they?  Great.  Back to that annoying thing again.  She’d thought they were starting to get out of that habit.  “Why can’t I go meet our passengers and talk to them?  Right now is the perfect time.”

“Introductions were made.  You’ve met them,” Four crossed his arms and raised one brow.

“There’s been enough talk,” Three agreed with a nod of his head.

“What’s _wrong_ with you guys?”  She couldn’t figure out why they were acting like this and shook her head.  Had there been something in the eggs at breakfast?  There couldn’t have been.  Two, Nyx, and Six were acting like normal.  “I’m just wanting conversation with two new people.”

“You’re that enthusiastic to talk to the bodyguard?”  Now Three raised his brows, as if he doubted that idea.  “Or is it the boy you want to talk to?”

Five rolled her eyes a little.  “Maybe.  That’s not a crime.”

“No talking.”

“No,” Four echoed.

“You can’t just tell me no.  You can’t tell me I can’t talk to our passenger.  Passengers,” she corrected herself.

“I just did.  We,” Three gestured between himself and Four, “just did.  Go to your lesson.”

She half laughed in disbelief.  “Are you ordering me?” 

“I am strongly suggesting you go to your lesson right now.”

“Uh-huh.”  Again, weird.  “Are you guys on something?  Because this isn’t normal behavior for either of you.”  She’d expect this more from Six than them. 

“You’re stalling,” Four observed in a low voice.  “Are you perhaps not prepared for your lesson?”

“Two,” she called out in desperation.  “Do I absolutely have to go and have my lesson right now?”

Two turned from Nyx and whatever conversation they were having.  “What would you rather do?”

“I’d rather talk to our passengers and be friendly.”

“Being friendly is overrated, kid,” Three commented.

Two took a couple steps their direction.  “They’re settling in right now.  I think it’s an excellent idea to bump up your lesson and you can chat with our passengers after lunch.”

Three and Four turned annoyed stares over their shoulders at her.

“In the mess, with proper supervision, of course,” Two added with what looked like an amused turn to her lips.

“Six adults is certainly proper supervision,” Nyx added.  “Just throwing that out there for consideration.”

Five sighed.  “I’m not dressed to work out,” she protested.  “I wasn’t planning on it and I still think you’ve got the days mixed up.  Not to mention, no one has ever worried about proper supervision before.”

“Your quarters are on the way,” Three pointed out in a cheerful tone that didn’t fit the serious expression on his face.  “Have a good workout.  Really get the aim down on those throat punches.”  He gestured, a punch at the air in what she assumed was supposed to be an invisible opponent’s throat.

She rolled her eyes again.

“I’ll walk you to your quarters and wait outside for you to change.  We’ll walk to the gym together.  Your previous lessons should be fresh in your mind.”  Four held his hand out in a gesture for her to lead.  “Today is a good day to review them.”

There was no way she was getting out of this, was there?  “Fine, but I’ve got to say, you’re both _so_ weird sometimes.  Seriously.”  She briefly gave up getting the chance to talk to Colyn a bit more and went to change and then practice.

* * *

“I hate him already,” Three told Nyx and Two when they were alone.  “Punk ass kid.”  Everything about the boy rubbed him the wrong way.  The way he talked, the way he looked, the clothes he was wearing, his attitude, his voice.  Everything.  He really wanted to punch the kid in the face to wipe that goofy ass smirk off it, then toss him out the airlock to die an agonizing death in the cold vacuum of space.  He had no real reason for the urge and the feeling.  It was just _there_.

“You know Five’s right,” Two said.  “We’ve never worried about proper supervision before.  I doubt we need to start now.  She can take care of herself pretty well.”

He considered that.  It was true.  They hadn’t worried about it before and Five handled herself better sometimes than a couple adults they all knew.  Still.  She wasn’t an adult.  She didn’t have their collective experience to know that Colyn Fortuna was the worst possible choice for her to go all goofy over.  She didn’t know at a glance that the boy needed a throat punch.  “Maybe we _should_ worry about it a little.  She is only sixteen.”

“Didn’t she spend a lot of time on the streets?”  Nyx leaned against the wall.  “That sort of matures a person fast.”

“That boy is a menace.  You both know it.  Everyone on board knows it but Five.  Hell, even Colyn knows he’s a menace.  He embraces his menacedom.  Menacedom…  Is that a word?”

“Sure.”  Nyx nodded.  “He’s a weapon of mass destruction.”

“That’s the proper frame of reference in which to put a horny teenage boy,” Three told her.  His imagination was calling up all of the ways Colyn could be trouble.  It was a long list and even longer when he thought of all the things he would’ve done at that age.

Two laughed.  “Are you actually being serious?”

“Here’s an idea.”  He thought it was a good one.  The more he thought about it, the more he liked it.  “Maybe we should all spend this trip showing Five what it looks like when people who really care for her look out for her.  You know….  Get in the way a little.”

“Or a lot in your case?”

He shrugged.

“And just where did you get this overprotective parental idea?”

Three paced a few steps.  “I can’t take credit.  It’s actually one of the possible lessons in Six’s curriculum that never got implemented.  He said there wasn’t a proper situation for it in relationship context.  Meaning, there wasn’t any need because there weren’t any real prospects for her for us to potentially object to.  Now, I think this is the proper situation and I get the feeling I’m not the only one seeing it this way.”  It was obvious to him that Four had chosen this as his contribution.  He was going to get in the way any way he could.  Why not join in and show solidarity?  Since Three was going to put a wrench in Colyn’s plans anyway, there might as well be a group effort.

“Okay.  Let’s get some perspective here before you get too into that idea.  The boy isn’t smooth or subtle.  We all agree at that.  Were you at that age?”  Two was far too amused by this.  “Is any seventeen year old boy?”

“My past behavior isn’t relevant to the current situation.”  And not something he knew.  He supposed he could ask Five what she could recall from his memories of being a teenager, but that never seemed like a good idea considering some of the things he suspected were in there.

Nyx smiled.  She seemed just as amused as Two.  “He’s definitely not smooth, but I’m sure he thinks he is.”

“Do you think that supermodel line has ever actually worked for him in the past,” Two mused.

“Not if he tried it on an adult woman,” Nyx replied.  “Maybe with girls his age.”

“You want perspective?  Here’s some perspective.  He thinks he’s going to get her on her back.  He’s already planning it.”  Maybe they simply didn’t understand the danger a teenage boy could be with all of those hormones running out of control.  Combine that with Five’s girl hormones already obviously going whacko over the guy and it was a recipe for disaster.

“He won’t get her on her back.”  Laughter danced in Two’s eyes.

“He needs to treat her with respect instead of the way he’s planning on treating her.”  Maybe Three should get with Four and coordinate their efforts to stop him.  And see if Six was in on it, too.  They could work up a nice little battle plan.

“You’re overreacting just a little.  There’s no need to implement anything from Six’s lesson plan.  Trust me.  Let it go.  So what if she has a two day romance with this kid?  It’s two days.  She’ll be bored with him by then.  Just let it go.”

“Four’s right to step in.  It’s the right action to be taking.  We don’t need her actually involved with this kid.”

“Every girl has a Colyn somewhere in her past,” Nyx interjected.  “Every one of us.  Two days is about the limit on those guys before they start really being a pain in the ass instead of cute.”

Three didn’t think he was overreacting.  He thought he was being rather level headed.  “We’ll have to agree to disagree, because this is the perfect situation to implement that lesson.  Did you not hear what he said to her?”  When they stared at him, uncomprehending, he snorted.  “He said ‘we got to hook you up’.”

“And,” Nyx ventured with a curious lilt to the word.

“Clearly, he meant hook up with him.  Hook up.”  They still didn’t get it and he shook his head.  “I can’t be the only one who heard that.  Hook up?  Getting her on her back?  Dipping the wick?  Horizontal Mambo?”

Two blinked and crossed her arms.  She opened her mouth to say something, then sighed instead.

“Sex.  He was talking about sex.”

“You got _that_ from that?”

“It’s an accurate translation of man speech,” he told her.  “It’s like when a man says ‘let’s cuddle’.  Men don’t cuddle.  We say cuddle, we mean sex.  If in doubt, we always mean sex.”

“Man speech,” Nyx repeated with a nod of her head.  “Okay.”

He slanted a glance at her.  “Do not look at me like I’m crazy, Nyx.”

She held up her hands.  “I’m not.  I don’t think that’s what he meant, but I’m not fluent in man speech.  Maybe you’re right.  So what?  They’ll have plenty of chaperones if that’s what you’re wanting here.”

“Will they have any chaperones?  Because I think they’ll ditch us all as soon as they see a chance and go off somewhere where he can do things to her and he will do things to her because he’s a dirty, hormonal teenage boy with nothing on his mind but sex.”

“Three, do you really think,” Nyx started, but he cut her off.

“She deserves a whole helluva lot better than that punk.  Agreed?”  They both nodded.  “Then we should show her that we care enough about her to keep that idiot away from her.”

“Since you’re going to do this no matter what I say….  Just don’t do anything drastic,” Two warned him.  “Promise me, Three.  Nothing drastic.”

“Define drastic.  Six did say we could bring him home dead and still collect.  The bodyguard told him.  We could take that option.  Just sayin’.”  He took two steps away and turned back, pointing a finger at both of them now.  “And I’d think, the two of you being girls and all, that you’d be pretty aware of how bad this situation is going to get and how fast it’ll get that way once her own hormones kick in all the way.  We need to be proactive here.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Nyx told him.  “Overprotective and ridiculous.  Are you aware of how ridiculous you’re being?  Are you sure Six didn’t just tell you that was in the curriculum to make you all act stupid at some future point?”

“We’ll see who’s right,” he said and headed to his own quarters to decide which gun he wanted to have ready for when that boy made a fatal error.  He wouldn’t really shoot him.  Unless he had a good excuse.


	3. Chapter 3

Colyn Fortuna had met a lot of girls, but never one as intriguing as Five.  The fact that she was seriously stacked was a bonus.  She was… What was the word he was looking for?

Oh yeah.  _Hot_.

He was instantly attracted.  Her style was like homeless, street girl chic and he loved that.  Not many girls could honestly pull off a look like hers and make it sexy, but she was totally rocking it.  She was like, on trend so well that she could completely be a model.  It hadn’t been a line.

Okay, it had, but he kind of meant it.  The legging, dress, shirt, hoodie combo was in for girls their age.  He had friends who tried to wear that look.  Tried and failed.  It just looked perfect on Five, however. 

Her green hair gave her sort of an otherworldly look and he couldn’t wait to find out if she was as wild as she looked.  He couldn’t wait to find out everything about her because he already had a feeling that Five was _the one_.  His mother would hate her.  What Lilliana Fortuna wanted for her son was some vapid heiress with no sense of fun.  Colyn liked fun and Five looked like fun.  Which really made her perfect and clinched his already growing feelings for her.

Right then, Colyn decided that he had to have Five.  She was going to be his and together, they were going to have lots and lots of fun.

Of course, he was going to have to get around all of the adults, but Colyn didn’t see too much of a problem with that because he’d never had much of a problem before.  He’d always been able to slip past the parents and guardians.  Should be a snap.

He followed Six and Drea to the guest quarters, mentally mapping the path they took.

* * *

It hadn’t been difficult to read Colyn’s intentions.  His expression upon seeing Five had been hungry and eager, like she was a buffet he was anticipating feasting on.

Three knew exactly what was going on in that boy’s mind because it was the same thing that went on in his mind when he looked at Two these days.  Sex, that’s what was going on.  Constant sex.  In the boy’s mind, he already had Five naked and horizontal and was thinking about all of the things he wanted to do to her once she was on her back.  He was plotting how to get those things as quickly as possible and without any of the adults interfering with those plans.

Five was, of course, oblivious to those nefarious plans.  She was too busy planning romantic girl things like holding hands and picnics by waterfalls.  Or whatever it was girls her age thought was romantic.  She had no idea that Colyn Fortuna wanted to fall on her like a slavering wolf ripping into a carcass.

Perhaps he didn’t have the best opinion of the boy and Colyn had only been on the Raza a few minutes.

At least Four could be counted on to keep Five occupied in the gym for awhile.  He was obviously with the program, what with the workout suggestion.

Three narrowed his eyes and decided maybe just one gun would do.  Two was maybe overkill in trying to scare the boy.  Was there such a thing as overkill though?

He wasn’t ruling out coming back for more at a later time.

Lulu it was.  He loaded the clip, then a spare just in case, and put on the holster.  While it was tempting to add Pip -- purely for balance --, he resisted and left his quarters to observe the training session. 

When Five was in her lessons, she was focused and determined.  Her aim still sucked on those throat punches, but at least she was trying.  Eventually she’d get it down.  It’d take a lot of practice.  The workout would keep her from Colyn for a good while because she’d have to go back to her quarters and shower immediately after the session.  Immediately.  She wouldn’t want the little twerp to see her sweaty from the gym.  Teen girls were weird that way, like they thought a guy couldn’t figure out that they did sometimes sweat like the rest of the galaxy.  Guys knew girls sweated. 

Personally, he liked seeing a woman fresh from the gym.

Correction, he liked seeing _Two_ fresh from the gym, all breathless from exertion, with sweat glistening over her skin and….

Correction, he liked seeing Two breathless and sweaty from exertion in his bed.  That was the most accurate statement.

He shook his head and refocused his thoughts on the subject of Five.  After her workout and shower, she’d have to take the time to change clothes and primp before lunch.

And that word was far too close to the word ‘pimp’ for comfort.

It could easily be right up until lunch before she could see Colyn again.  Perfect.

At the gym, he found Five sulking and uncooperative, Four annoyed, and Nyx playing peacemaker.  The situation seemed well in hand, so he went to the bridge instead.

“Still in outraged protector mode,” Two asked, sipping at a cup and glancing up at him when he approached.  “How’s that plan coming?”

“I’m telling you, the boy is trouble.  Being proactive is the key here.  You should join in this plan.”

“I believe you and no thanks.”

“Sure doesn’t seem like you believe me.  Look at you, all relaxed.  I’m not relaxing until he’s off this ship.”  He went to his favorite chair and sat, putting his feet up on the panel and clasping his hands behind his head.  “Where’s the robot?”

“On her charging station while things are quiet.”

“Uh-huh.  Even she’s anticipating trouble.  That should tell you something.”

“I’m confident we can handle the boy and anything else that may cause trouble.”

“Anything else?”  There’d been a slight edge to the words and he perked up a little bit.  “What’s up?”

“Nothing so far, but a ship left a short while after we did and seems to be following our path.  Could be nothing.  This is a common route.  We’re monitoring them.  If it becomes a problem, we’ll make everyone aware of it.”

“Okay.  So….  What do you think Colyn did to piss off some people?  I mean besides just stand there with that stupid look on his face.”

“You did take an instant and rather violent dislike to him.”

“I did, didn’t I?”  Three nodded and put his hands on his stomach, lacing his fingers together. “I’m not really sure why, aside from the fact that he’s a hormonal idiot who plans to get Five on her back.  I don’t know.  I just have the constant urge to grab him and slam his head into the wall until he passes out, then wait for him to wake up and do it again.  She can do far better than him.  As soon as she sees that, we’ll back down.”

“You can’t know he’s planning that.  Not for sure.”  She set her cup down.  “And I’m not sure that’s how this plan of yours is going to work.  She got upset because you missed _breakfast_ one morning.  What do you think she’ll do if you get in the way of her hot romance?”

“She may be hoping for a hot romance, but that’s not what she’s going to get.  As for his plans….  Is he male?”

“Yes.”

“Is Five the only female his age on board?”

“Of course.”

“Then he’s planning it.  Trust me, Two.  Five’s a cute girl.  This boy is planning something.  In his mind, it’s already executed.  I’m telling you, once he figures out how to get around all of us adults, it’ll be chaos.”  He had to admit to himself that she did have a point about Five’s eventual reaction though.  They’d cross that bridge when they came to it, but he could certainly handle more cayenne laced raspberry doughnuts or cold showers.  He’d just go use Two’s shower if Five cut the hot water to his quarters again.

“You’re Mr. Doom and Gloom today.”  A small smile curved her lips.

“You could always lift my spirits,” he suggested, smiling back and willing to be distracted for a brief amount of time.

“Or make something else lift?”  One brow quirked up in a flirtatious gesture.

“I like that idea.  We should explore that idea in all of the many ways it _can_ be explored.”

“Maybe tonight.”

“Maybe?”

Slender fingers tucked her hair behind her ear.  “I’d hate to be predictable.  Wouldn’t want you to think I’m a sure thing.  That’d get boring and I know how much you hate to be bored.”

“Keeping me guessing.  Interesting strategy.”

“You like it when I keep you guessing.  You beg me to keep you guessing.”

“You’re so good at it….”

“I aim to please.”

“And please you do.”

“You two should get a room,” came Nyx’s voice from the open doorway.  “Just sayin’.”

Two laughed and transferred her attention to Nyx.  “We probably should, but not right now.  Do you need something?”

“Four asked me to get Three while he showers.  Five went to change before lunch.”

“You aren’t using your comm because…?”

“Obviously because Five might somehow overhear,” Three said with a snort and sat up.

“Oh, obviously.  Please tell me you aren’t planning to watch her at all hours.”

Nyx put her hands in her jacket pockets and shrugged, a mock innocent expression on her face.  “There’s no set schedule for that.  Not yet anyway.”

“You too, Nyx?”

She grinned in response.  “Hey, this is more entertaining than some of those bad movies Three and Five bought.  How can I not get in on this somehow?”

Three wasn’t offended by that.  If Nyx was there, she’d be watching and the more adults looking over Colyn’s shoulder, the better.  Who cared about her reasons?  “Welcome to the effort, Nyx.  Glad to have your cooperation.”

“Give her some space,” Two warned them.

“No can do,” Three told her.  “Not with Horny Humperdink on board.” He got up and went to wait outside Five’s quarters.

* * *

“She’s beautiful, Drea!  Don’t you think she’s beautiful?  And her name.  Five.  How mysterious is that?  I can totally get into a mysterious beauty like her.  Get _right_ in….”

Six could smell trouble starting to brew.  He had a bad feeling about this job now.  He’d hate to eat crow about it.  Three would be insufferable.  He always was when he was right about something and the odds of him being right were usually incomprehensibly high.  It was downright annoying how often Three was right about some things.  If life was a gambling session, Three would be accused of fixing the odds.

Drea favored Colyn with a thin smile.  “She’s very pretty.”

“Pretty?  Are you blind?”  He dropped onto the bed with a melodramatic sigh.  “She’s magnificently stacked.”  He held his hands up like he was imagining squeezing Five’s breasts.  “Like I want to put my face right--”

Six cleared his throat.

Colyn looked over at him with an amused expression and raised brows.  “What?  Like none of you guys have noticed she has these massive boobs.  Please.  You can’t not notice those beautiful things.”

“Tone it down,” Drea warned him with a stern look.  “I swear, Colyn.  I’m about to smack you upside the head.  You annoy me one more time today and I just might actually do it, too.”

He ignored the threat, continuing to rhapsodize about Five.  “I can’t wait to see them.  Do you think she’ll let me?  I think she will.  How could she resist me?  How can I resist her and her perfect boobs?  They’re amazing.  They’re _glorious_.  Hey, tall dude whose name I can’t remember, what’s she really like?  Is she wild?  Has to be on this ship, right?  I’ve heard the stories about you guys.  You’re like vicious criminals, which means she’s got to be wild.  I can just tell.  Mom’s going to hate her.”  A tiny little smug grin curved Colyn’s lips.  “She’s perfect.”

Drea stared at Colyn, then shook her head with a faint expression of disgust.

Six glanced at her.  “Okay.  Is he going to be a problem?”

“No more than he usually is.  Or than you’re used to I’m sure.”

Oh crap, he thought.  We’re in trouble.

He did expect trouble, but after a few hours, none had occurred.  The only annoyance was Colyn’s habit of saying whatever came into his mind.  The boy wasn’t nearly as funny as he thought he was and was highly fixated on Five at present. 

Six wondered where Five was as he led Drea and Colyn to the mess.  Five had been missing all morning.  He’d expected her to come to the guest quarters to talk to Colyn and Drea.  He found out halfway through lunch when she, Three, and Four finally showed up.  She was wearing different clothes than she had earlier, her makeup was fresh, and it looked like she’d even curled her hair.  Three and Four took the chairs across from Colyn, leaving Five the one at the far end of the table, the furthest away from him.

She shot an annoyed stare their way, her lips set in a tight line.

“It’s an applicable lesson, Six,” Four said.

“Damn straight,” Three agreed.  “Completely applicable.”

They were random comments that had no bearing on the current conversation, but Six understood and smiled a little to himself.  The final lesson in his curriculum was underway, with both Four and Three taking an active role.  Had to be by their behavior, and Five wasn’t appreciating that protective behavior.  Her posture and expression indicated she was extremely aggravated with both of them.  “Thanks.” 

Five rolled her eyes, lips moving in words that didn’t have any sound.  Six was sort of glad she wasn’t actually voicing those words.

Depending on how the rest of the day went, he might have to get in on the lesson as well.  “Five is our resident tech expert,” he told Colyn and Drea.  “She’s good with gadgets.”

“Good with gadgets,” Colyn repeated with a smirk that rubbed Six’s nerves the wrong way.  “Good to _know_.  I’ll have to remember that.  For when I have gadgets available.”  He reached for the bowl of fruit, dumping a large portion in his bowl.  He’d already eaten two bowls and two plates of the rest of lunch.  It was a good thing the Android, with her usual efficiency, had prepared more than enough even accounting for Three’s appetite.  There was plenty.

Six usually wouldn’t advocate punching a boy’s teeth in, but he had the urge to do it right then.  Maybe he wouldn’t have to wait and see how the rest of the day went.  Maybe he’d start doing his own bit of planning right now, because the longer he spent in Colyn’s presence, the more he wanted to strangle him.

Three sat back in his chair and glared at Colyn.  It was a fairly intimidating stare that Six had seen make grown men twice Colyn’s size back down.

Colyn didn’t even seem to notice.  He was too busy ogling Five’s breasts.  It had to be her breasts because Six didn’t think her lunch plate would be so fascinating to the boy.  And speaking of her lunch plate…. He squinted down the table at it.  What was she eating?

He sighed a little internally.  She’d only taken some fruit and salad and a small amount at that.  Great.  That’d make her nice and cranky in a couple hours.  She may not be a big eater, but she usually ate far more than that tiny amount.

“Drea.”  Four looked up from his plate.  “Are you required to take refresher courses to keep your skills up to date?”

“Wow.  Great conversational move there, slick.  Here we go.”  Colyn speared a piece of fruit with his fork.  “She _loves_ talking about the Guild almost as much as she loves talking about my family.  Don’t get her started.  Seriously.  You’ve been warned.”

Drea pursed her lips a second, the barest flash of irritation in her eyes, then answered, “It’s a Guild requirement.  Once a year there’s a seminar that covers new techniques, weapons, and laws that may affect us.  It’s two weeks of intensive training, from dawn to dusk and at the end, we have to pass an exam to continue keeping a license.”

“Unless someone greases a few palms and then it’s not an issue.”  Colyn smiled in the direction of Five’s breasts.  “You can stay certified as long as you put enough bribes out there.  In case anyone is wondering.”

Drea stared at Colyn in a way that made Six glad there wasn’t an airlock nearby.  How had she not killed him already?  “I’m lucky in that the Fortuna family pays for it and for my lodgings during that time.  Some don’t.”

Four’s eyes narrowed and he returned his gaze to his plate.  “Fascinating.”

“What kind of, uh, _gadgets_ do you play with, Five,” Colyn asked, his attention never raising to her face.

Two started to laugh and tried to smother it.  The sound came out as a coughing snort.  “Excuse me.”  She took a sip of her water.

“I’ll work with any gadget,” Five replied.  “I’ve got a knack for them.”

“I’ll just bet you do.”

Never in his life had Six been as grateful for Five’s occasional obliviousness as he was right then.  She chatted on about the fun of fixing things, completely unaware that Colyn was referring to electric sex aids.

Everyone else at the table understood him however.

Four picked up his table knife and stared at the table at about where Colyn’s crotch would be under the table.

Drea took a long gulp of hot coffee.  “Some whiskey would be really good in this,” she murmured.  “Or just some whiskey period.”

Two put a casual hand over her mouth and seemed to be holding her breath.  Amusement was in her eyes.  She appeared determined to keep a sense of humor and that was probably a good thing as it looked like Three’s warning about trouble was likely to come true any time, especially if Colyn kept talking.

Nyx stared at Colyn with a faintly horrified expression, probably wondering if the kid had any ability whatsoever to read a situation, and Three….

Three pulled his gun from the thigh holster and slapped it down on the table.  It looked like the one he’d named ‘Lulu’.  “Just what do you think you know about _gadgets_ , Colyn,” he asked in a tense voice.  Amazing that he’d managed to get the words out with his jaw clenched that hard.  Six thought he could even hear Three’s teeth grinding together.

Sort of an extreme reaction.  Even Four glanced at him with some surprise before going back to staring and waving the knife a little.

“Not much, but I like a girl who’s good with her hands.”

As Three’s expression shifted into anger, Two grabbed for his gun and confiscated it.  There was a bit of a tussle over it, but she won and handed it to Six.

Colyn’s ability to piss people off in seconds was at prodigy level.  The boy should be locked up in a lab to be studied because he certainly had a gift.  Even Six was wanting to hurt the boy and he usually didn’t have those impulses like the others.  It was, frankly, bizarre.  Maybe they could tip off Rook about him?  That seemed like an ability that man would want to study. 

He didn’t think any of them were going to have to work very hard to want to protect Five from the boy.

“Give it,” Three growled.

“No,” Two hissed back.

Five stopped talking and frowned at them.  Six could almost hear her internal comment about how embarrassing they all were being today.  She then smiled at Colyn, all sunshine and light.  “Do you want a tour of the ship, Colyn?”

Four sat forward even more, waving the knife in a wider arc before setting it back down.  “Yes, Colyn.  Would you like a tour of the ship?”

“I’d love to see all of the nooks and crannies,” he replied.  “Every last one….”  One brow twitched in what he probably thought was a sexy shrug.  

Three made another grab for his gun, nearly tipping Two’s chair over with her in it in the process.  Two braced herself and shoved back, causing Three’s chair to slide.  The table jostled.

“A tour of the ship is an excellent idea,” Nyx agreed with a bright smile.  “Good thinking, Five.  Four and I will help you give Colyn a tour of the ship.”

“You don’t have to go, too,” Five said, losing a bit of her sunny smile.

“I think we’d better.”  Nyx shoved back her chair.  “I think we’d better all go _now_.”

When the group had left and Two had gone back to the bridge, Six handed Three’s gun back.  “Don’t shoot the kid,” he warned.

“I’d never shoot the kid.  The boy maybe, but not the kid.”  Three got to his feet and holstered the weapon.

“It might send a bad message to Madame Fortuna if we kill her only son on the way there.”

“I don’t care.  He was talking gadgets and nooks and crannies.”  He jabbed a finger towards the hall.  “Her nooks and crannies to be specific.  We all heard him.  She’s only sixteen.  She’s too young for the ideas he’s having.”

“What’s going on with you, man?  You need to calm down.”

“Can’t.  I can actually feel rage moving through me when I look at him.  Rage.  Have you ever felt that?  It’s kind of like lava.  Boiling.  The more I look at him, the more his very presence pisses me off.  With every open mouthed, noisy breath he takes that boy is begging me to kill him.”

“Don’t kill him.”

“I hate him, Six.”

“Don’t kill him,” he repeated.

“I’m going off program.  Good luck to you and Four.”

“Take a deep breath.  Stay on program.  We’re all united in this.”

He did take a breath, but shook his head as he blew it back out.  “We’re not united.  Two and Nyx?  Not seeing the big picture.  Nyx is just in this for the entertainment value.”

“They _are_ women.  They’re naturally sympathetic to Five’s point of view.”

Three snorted.  “I’m going to get another gun.  Maybe two.  Maybe all of them.  I’ll introduce the little twerp to Pip, Lulu, Bubba, _and_ Raquel.”

Drea polished off her lunch, not seeming the least bit concerned about their conversation and about Three wanting to kill her charge.  “Colyn loves the name Raquel.  Says it’s exotic.”

Three turned his head, stared at her with a baffled expression a moment, then stalked off.

Drea looked up at Six.  “Did I say something wrong?”

“Um…no.  Not at all.  Let me refresh your coffee.”  He did and sat back down to catch up.

“So the amnesia is real,” Drea asked in a cautious tone once they were alone and he’d given her the story of what had happened months earlier.  “None of you have any memory of before you woke up a few months back?”

“It’s real.  Five has some memories.”  He didn’t elaborate on the subject.  “But not many.  The rest of us have no memories.”

“You’re sure the rest of you don’t have memories?”

“Yes.  Why?”

She took a sip of coffee and shrugged.  “Because this isn’t the first time Three has wanted to kill Colyn.  A little over a year ago or so,  Marcus Boone, the one you’re calling Three, threatened to kill Colyn twice in a two day period.  That is him, right?  Marcus Boone?”

He wasn’t sure what to say.  Three had done a lot of stuff like that and sometimes still did.  “It is.  He probably didn’t mean it.”

“No, no, he meant it and I couldn’t really blame him.  Colyn sort of stole Boone’s job payout and then cheated at cards and stole more from him.  There were some other issues in there, too.  Fun days.  I had to call Lilliana for approval to bribe the man into not putting a full clip in Colyn’s face while he had the gun in Colyn’s face.  That little gun struggle and threat just now at lunch was nothing.  At least this time he wasn’t talking about bodily mutilation and torture.  I recall having quite the conversation with him back then.”

“Oh.”  Maybe the buried memory of that was pushing into the present and coloring how Three saw Colyn?  It’d explain just how fast he’d disliked the boy and how fast he was losing what little cool he had.

“It wasn’t even the worst altercation we’d had that week.  Sort of par for the course.  I don’t think it registered to Colyn that he was in any kind of real danger until much later.  He behaved himself for weeks after that.  Most days, Colyn is all about Colyn.  He’s the most selfish little shit I’ve ever met.  Thinks the galaxy revolves around him.  It’s how he was raised.  So….Is Five Three and Two’s daughter?”

Six choked on his drink.  When his coughing fit subsided, he answered, “Not at all.  I don’t think Three has any children,” that Three knew of anyway, he added silently, and heaven help the galaxy if he did somewhere, “and I know Two doesn’t.”

“Oh.  I was just trying to figure out how a teenager got on the ship.  Interesting.”

She was saying that a lot.  “You keep using that word.  Is there some reason you’re asking that question?”

“Well, Colyn has a history of infatuation and outraged parents are not my favorite thing to deal with.  I much prefer the mercenaries and authorities to the parents.  The mercenaries and authorities are a lot easier to deal with.  However, if the particular outraged parents were also mercenaries?  I might just have to finally let him get killed.” 

He made a mental note to tell Two all of that.  “Is he dangerous, Drea?  Will he hurt Five?”

She shook her head.  “Not like that.  He doesn’t attack.  He talks.  He convinces himself he’s fallen in love.  He’s a cute kid and he knows it.  He’s seventeen and acts like a privileged seventeen year old.”

“I’ll make sure proper precautions are taken.”  Like locking Five in her room.  Or maybe Three’s room.  His had the grate welded shut.  In fact, Three would probably kick himself for not thinking of that himself.

Drea stirred her coffee.  “I suppose I am using that word a lot though.  I just….I’m having trouble reconciling you with this crew.  You, of all people, here.”

“There’s a lot of that going around.”

“What happened, Cal?  Six, I mean.  Sorry.  I’ll get it right one of these times.”

He sighed.  “Overall?  The system let me down.  I’m a different person than I was when you knew me.  I hurt people.  I’m making amends.  Trying to.  This ship is where I belong.  Took me almost too long to see it.”

“Look at us.  Back then I never would’ve seen us where we are today.  You’re a wanted criminal and I’m a nursemaid to a spoiled brat who’s trying to get us both killed with the stupid shit he pulls.”

“If he’s pissed off the people you say he has, your job is as dangerous as we are.”

She laughed.  “I doubt that.”

“I’ve got to say, you don’t seem to terribly concerned with Three wanting to kill Colyn.  Most bodyguards would be on alert by now, especially after lunch.”

“I’m _not_ concerned.  Colyn can use a little scaring every so often.  It’s good for him and I know exactly how to handle Marcus Boone… _Three_ …when it comes down to the gun in Colyn’s face stage.  He’s not going to kill Colyn.  Trust me, Six.  This is my job.  I know what I’m doing.  I know when to step in and when to let things…escalate for Colyn’s own good.”  There was pure calculation in her brown eyes.

He hoped she really did know what she was doing or this could go a very bad way.

Just then, Colyn and Five returned for a mid-afternoon snack.


	4. Chapter 4

Five was starting to become desperate to have just one minute alone with Colyn and knew he wanted that too.  He’d spent the past few minutes yawning during Four’s uncharacteristic monologue.

“Do you think Colyn would like to see my drawings,” Five whispered to Nyx, who threaded her arm through Five’s and leaned down to her.

“Oh girl, do _not_ let Three hear you ask that question.”

“What’s wrong with that question?”  There was obviously something wrong with it by the way Nyx had said the words.

“Let’s just say asking that is begging for him to show up and make the situation awkward in a really bad way at the worst possible moment.”

“Oh.”  Five sighed.  The tour wasn’t what she’d planned.  Four had taken the lead, leaving her and Nyx to trail along behind him and Colyn like afterthoughts.  How was she supposed to talk to Colyn if Four was monopolizing the afternoon?  Why was Four even talking this much?  He never talked like this.  He was the least talkative guy she knew.  “How am I supposed to talk to Colyn when no one will let me?”

“Talking is fine, it’s the other stuff the guys are worried about.”

“What other stuff?”  She answered her own question as soon as she’d asked it.  “Ugh.  Never mind.  I know.  All the reasons I’m supposed to use a throat punch.”  She snorted.  “They’re all paranoid.”

“Considering who they are and how you know they’ve all behaved in their lives, don’t you think they might have some insight you’re lacking?”

“So?  I need to make my own mistakes sometimes.  How am I supposed to know when to use a throat punch if I never have a real date with someone who isn’t part of this crew?”

“Good point.”  Nyx nodded.

“I know it is.  I mean, come on here.  Three, Six, and Four certainly aren’t going to get fresh with me and I need to know how to really react to that.”  Maybe if she got Nyx on her side, she could convince Four to back off.

“Get fresh?”

“Three’s wording.  Getting fresh equals a throat punch every time.”

“Ahh.  What exactly does getting fresh entail according to Three?”

Five shrugged.  “I don’t know.  He got sidetracked then and never finished telling me.  I’m thinking, based on the way the conversation had been going right then, that it’s probably an unsolicited boob grab or going for the panties.  One of the two.  Maybe even both.”

“That does make sense.”

“For that matter, how am I supposed to have a first kiss?  Or first anything else with them hovering and growling at any prospective dates?  How am I going to have any dates with them around?”  She sighed as a depressing thought occurred to her.  “I’m totally destined to die a virgin, aren’t I?  I’m never going to have a first kiss or a first anything because they’re going to lock me up on the Raza until I die.”

A soft laugh left Nyx.  “Don’t be so dramatic, Five.”

“Can’t help it right now.  I’m upset…and I won’t mention that Four’s also got everything in here completely backwards.  He’s not getting it right.  He certainly can’t bluff on this stuff, can he?  He doesn’t know any of these panels and what they do.”

“Okay.  I get it.  I understand.  But I’m not the one you have to convince.  Let me see what I can do, okay?  Just don’t make me regret this.”  She let go of Five and moved towards Colyn and Four.  “I think Five really has the expertise in here.  She should explain what everything does.”

“You in the know with all this,” Colyn asked, turning to look at her.

“I am.”

“Cool.  Get up here and let’s chat, sweet thing.”

Five moved up to join them, shooting a grateful smile at Nyx.  As the afternoon went on it became apparent to her that Colyn was definitely her soul mate.  He was perfect!  She thought she could even begin to picture some of that future Six insisted she could have if she left the crew.

* * *

The Nyx chick was smiling at him.

Colyn sighed a little internally.  How could he concentrate on Five when this other woman was hitting on him?  Her smile was a complete invitation and, as soon as he got the chance, he leaned over and made a suggestion to see what she’d do.  With any luck, she’d realize it was a bad idea.  Wrong place, wrong time.

Her smile faded and she snorted.  “No, thanks.”

Thank goodness.  Now he could concentrate on Five again.  And her bounteous breasts.

She had to be the smartest girl he’d ever met.  He wasn’t really understanding a word she was saying, but hearing her spout all that technical talk was super sexy.  Man, he loved her already!  He couldn’t wait to hear all of the disapproving things his mom was going to say about her!

Now, if only these guys on this ship would leave them alone….

* * *

“The twerp made a pass at me the second Five was distracted.”  Nyx leaned against the table and crossed her arms.  “A pass.  At me.  Just turned around, ran that smarmy gaze all over me, and said ‘you want to get together later, honey pie?  I’m sure I could fit you in if you really want.’.  And Five, miraculously, didn’t even hear him say it.  I need a shower to wash the ick off of me.”

“I’m not sure why you’re surprised.  He did exactly what I predicted he would do.”  Four picked an apple from the fruit bowl.

She shook her head.  “Unbelievable.”

“Not at all.  He’s predictable.  Three’s right.  The boy wants one thing. I knew it the second he looked at Five.  He’d prefer Five because she’s his age, but any attractive woman will do.  You’re attractive.  This boy has neither brains nor honor.  He’ll pursue the avenue of least resistance.”

“And he thought that could possibly be me?”

“If you were the type of woman to be impressed by money, then yes.  You did smile at him, Nyx.  A smile can be a clear invitation.  It _was_ a clear invitation awhile back and an enjoyable interlude.”

“Interlude,” she repeated, instantly miffed by the word choice.  He acted like they were moving towards something serious, then said things like that.  Every.  Damn.  Time.

“Interlude,” he confirmed.

“Unbelievable,” she repeated, and started to the door.

“Where are you going?  I thought we were going to spar.”

“I don’t feel like it anymore.  I’m going to the bridge.”  She stalked down the corridors until she reached the bridge.  Four didn’t follow.

Two was still there, but the Android wasn’t.  It was starting to seem like Two was avoiding Colyn and Drea both.  She’d managed to spend less than an hour with them.  She looked up from whatever she was reading.  “How did the tour go?”

“Don’t ask.  Really.  Just don’t.”

“That bad, huh?”

“I tried to do something nice and the boy ruined it.  Then, Four ruined it.  My afternoon, not Five’s.  _Men_.  Sometimes, they’re insensitive jerks.  Just when you think something is going one way, they say something that makes it obvious you’re completely wrong.”  She took the comfortable chair Three usually beat everyone else to.  “I know Six and Drea are busy catching up in the mess because they were there when we left Colyn and Five there, but where are Three and the Android?”

“They’re making sure we’re ready in case of an attack.  Three is checking all of our hand weapons and the Android is making sure he doesn’t attempt to use them on Colyn.”

“At the rate the boy is going, I might use them on him.”

“Wow.  You’re in a bad mood now.”

“Four is….”  She stopped, not certain if she should go on, but Two nodded and set the pad down, understanding in her eyes.

“He’s being Four.”

“He is.”  Nyx shook her head, trying to banish that line of thought.  If Four could pretend their relationship was still casual, then so could she.  “I have to ask.  What’s going on with Three today?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean his usual violent tendencies are magnified and on full display and he seems a little too overprotective of Five.  What’s up?”

“Oh, that.  I think Colyn may be hitting a nerve.”

“ _A_ nerve?  Were you paying attention at lunch?”

“Okay, a bunch of nerves.  Other than that, I don’t know.”

She’d thought Two might have more insight, but maybe not.  “Mind if I hang out with you for awhile?”

“Not at all.  I’m just keeping tabs on that ship behind us.”

“Think it’ll give us trouble?”

“I’m almost hoping it will.  It might lessen some of the tension on board.”

“Three would enjoy blowing something up.”  She’d gotten to know him well enough to know that he was complicated in some ways and uncomplicated in others.  The guy was moody and had a bunch of emotional issues he’d never in a million years admit to having, but he liked a good meal, good alcohol, and the prospect of blowing things up and shooting things always cheered him up.  Dangle a violent, potentially bloody job in front of him and he was the first one ready to go.  Usually with an anticipatory grin.

“He would.  Might be a nice present for him after a long day of stalking Colyn.”

* * *

“You’re avoiding everyone.”

Two turned.  Six was stepping onto the bridge.  “No, no…”  With a sigh and half smile, she conceded.  “Okay, maybe.”  She had been avoiding everyone, but not for the reasons most would be thinking.  She was contemplating her future with Three and spending far too much time over thinking things.  However, she didn’t really want to have a heart-to-heart with anyone about it.  It was merely her own insecurities and fears rising up.  Things she had to work through by herself.

“Why?”

“Because…one of us has to not overreact and the easiest way is to not have contact with Colyn Fortuna, the most annoying teenage boy in the galaxy.”  She moved to one chair and sat.  There wasn’t much to do on the bridge.  She’d spent most of the day catching up on leisure reading.  She wasn’t lying to Six though.  Colyn was annoying and it would be best if one of them kept a level head.  “Look at all of you.  Four is waving knives around, Nyx wants to punch Colyn for making a pass at her with Five in the room, and Three is waving guns around and talking airlocks.”

“And me and the Android?”

“The Android wants to sedate him so everyone has a chance to calm down and you….”  She pointed a finger at him.  “You caused Three and Four’s reactions with your stupid curriculum.”

“It’s not stupid,” he protested, coming over to her.  “It’s a well thought out series of lessons.  It’s hardly my fault if Three and Four have their own extreme interpretations of what being a chaperone entails.”

“Being a chaperone.  That’s all this particular lesson is?”

“Yes.  The intent was merely to let Five feel safe when she eventually did have a real date.  I never intended it to be obnoxious.  The idea was for her to know that one of us was there and available if she needed help for any reason.  In the background, not sitting beside her growling at the boy in question and making threatening gestures.”

“Which is their interpretation.”

He nodded.  “I should’ve known, but to be honest, I’d thought they’d both forgotten about the curriculum.  It’s been weeks since Three took Five onto that station.”

Oh, the many ways this could go wrong!  “Fix this, Six.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I really want to put him out the airlock, too.  He made comments about her breasts.  Said they were massive and we all had to have noticed.”

Two nodded at that.  “I noticed.  I took her bra shopping awhile back.  The one she had was terrible.  Had no support.  A minimizing style works wonders with fuller breasts.  Her clothes fit better now.”

“I’m a little uncomfortable with that knowledge, Two.  I’d like to have it wiped from my memory.”

She laughed.  He was definitely uncomfortable, too.  His shoulders were shifting a little back and forth and he glanced away from her.  “What?  Girls wear bras.  Women wear bras.  News for you: Five’s a girl and she wears bras.”

“Colyn didn’t mean it that way.  He meant that we…men…must have looked at her…that way.”

“Which made you feel uncomfortable and protective of her because he’s obviously a deviant for noticing a girl his age has rather large breasts and assuming he’s not the only one who noticed.  Did you really think he wasn’t going to look at her figure and jump to a few conclusions?”

“You’re not helping.”

“Okay.  So you’re feeling very protective right now.  Just like Three and Four.”

“I kind of want to beat the boy to a pulp.”  He crossed his arms and leaned against a panel.  “But I think Three has legitimate reasons for his behavior.”

“Legitimate reasons and Three in the same sentence?  This I have to hear.  Do tell.”  When he was done telling her everything Drea had said, Two thought about it.  “Unconscious memories pushing at the conscious mind.  Interesting theory.”

“It fits.  It fits well.  Having his stuff stolen makes him pissy.”

“Lots of things make Three pissy.  Some of them don’t even make any sense.  This could explain a lot, though.”

“It could.  Couple it with the similarities between him and the boy and it’s a perfect storm of annoyance.”

She stared up at him with a small frown.  “What similarities?”  She hadn’t noticed any.

“You haven’t noticed?  The smart mouth, the inappropriate use of humor, the bottomless pit for a stomach.  The attitude.  Colyn even dresses a lot like Three.  Need I go on?”

“I’ll take your word on all of that.  Just…try to tone it down.  The only thing being accomplished is making the boy more desirable to her.”

One brow arched.  “And how would you know that when you’ve been avoiding everyone?”

Two smiled.  “I’m a girl, Six.  I know how girls think.  The more you men try to dissuade her and get in the way, the more determined she’s going to be to be with this boy, and I don’t mean the way Three is thinking.  You push her and she’s going to act out in rebellion because he’ll be even more desirable.”

He sighed.  “I’ll talk to Four.  You might have a better chance of getting through to Three than I do.”

“Why?”

Amusement crossed his features.  “You’re the one sleeping with him.  He’s susceptible to your feminine wiles if you were to choose to use them in a persuasive manner.”

“My feminine wiles,” she repeated.  “Why Six, are you suggesting that I use sex to distract him?”

“If it works and I think there’s a high probability it’d work rather well.”

She laughed as he left the bridge, then decided he did have a point.  She seriously considered the idea, then discarded it as too devious at present.  Maybe she’d go ahead with it if things got out of control.

The Android stepped onto the bridge.  “The boy is very irritating.”

“So I’ve heard.  How did he irritate you?”

“He asked if I have an entertainment functions upgrade and if so, would I meet him in his quarters tonight.  I’d like to repeat my suggestion of sedation.  It’s looking like a wise course of action to take.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

“If not the boy, may I at least sedate Three?”

She laughed.

“Was that a yes?”

Dinner was mild, boring even when compared to lunch.  Three appeared to have gotten himself mostly under control and concentrated on food and not Colyn and Five.  Four still waved the knife around, but looked to have toned down his responses as well, and Nyx kept a lively conversation going with Drea about training techniques.  It seemed that Six had managed to get through to everyone, even Three.  Good.  It’d be better if they all just let Five have a brief romance without too much interference.  It _would_ escalate if they didn’t let it go.

She cast a covert glance at Five.  The girl was happy and chatty despite being sandwiched at the table between Four and Three, asking everyone’s plans for the evening like she usually did.

Later, in Three’s quarters, Two curled up on the couch section with a generous drink.  Three was usually rather generous when he poured, but his liberal hand with the liquor was extremely so tonight.  “You want to fill me in on why you’re so against Colyn?”  Two sipped that drink.  It was what Three called ‘the good stuff’ and their plan was to have after dinner drinks and maybe a little something more if the mood turned that way.

“I don’t know,” Three admitted with a shrug as he joined her.  “All I know is that I want to space the punk.  It’s not even really about Five and what he wants to do to her.  It’s about him period.  I keep having this almost overwhelming urge to ram a gun in his face and open fire.  Dinner took all of my willpower.”

She nodded.  “I think I may have some information to explain that.”  She told him what Drea had told Six and the theory they had.

“Huh.  You think buried memories are coloring my current behavior?  Sounds far-fetched.”

“You mean as far-fetched as our amnesia sounds to a lot of people?  Think about it.  With as fast as Colyn can piss off an entire room of people, I think it’s probable.”

“Stealing my money twice in two days would cause rather intense dislike on my part.”  He stretched his arm out behind her and she felt his fingers sliding along her back and arm in a slow caress.  “Drea said there was more, too?”

“She didn’t elaborate, but yes.  There was more than just the money.”

He sipped his own drink and set it down.  “Enough about Colyn.  I’m tired of talking about him.  I’d rather talk about those thing you were hinting at earlier.  Come here.”

She went eagerly and when they reached the point of her needing to make a decision to stay or not, she disentangled herself with reluctance, putting her clothes back in order.  “I don’t think I’ll stay tonight.  I’ve got to get up early tomorrow.  Wouldn’t want to wake you again like I did yesterday.”

“I told you I don’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your beauty sleep.”

“I do like my beauty sleep.  See you in the morning then.”

Two leaned over and gave him a last kiss before leaving.  She paused outside in the hall.  She wanted to stay, but because she wanted to, she made herself leave.  It wasn’t rational and she knew it.  There was no reason why she couldn’t stay.  He honestly didn’t care if she woke him.

But she wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge just how _much_ she wanted to stay. 

After a moment of pondering that need, she headed to her own quarters, but as she reached them, she remembered something she hadn’t told the Android and went to the bridge instead.

* * *

Five’s plans for the evening were going together perfectly.  The Android had set up the screen for her and everyone was exactly where they’d said they’d be.  Nyx, Four, and Drea were in the gym, Six had gone to bed already.  And Three was with Two.  Five had asked about their plans just to make sure.  First she’d asked Two, then she’d asked Three, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, as if she was just curious and had no ulterior motive whatsoever.  Three was with Two and would be with her all night and diverted from his goal of getting in the way of Five getting to know Colyn.

Excellent.

All day long, it had been one thing after another.  Four with his monologue, Three with the gun waving and threats, and Six with his disapproving frown and very presence.  They’d put a damper on her perfectly reasonable desire to get to know Colyn.  It was reasonable, too.  He was her age.  She didn’t know anyone her age.  Not anymore anyway.  There was really no reason for them to object to Colyn.

She strolled down the hall to Two’s quarters and knocked.  If Two was there, she’d make up some reason to be there.

There was no answer.

Five smiled.

Perfect.  The tension in her shoulders relaxed.  Her plans with Colyn were good to go.  She was finally going to get to spend quality time with her soulmate.

* * *

The first day ended without bloodshed, much to Three’s disappointment.  There was something about that punk ass boy that sent him from calm to pure rage in ten seconds or less.  He wanted to beat the boy to a pulp and toss him out the airlock.  And somewhere in there, tell him not to be such a damned smartass because it was annoying as hell.  No one liked a smartass.

Two and Six’s theory did make a bit of sense.  If there were memories pushing in his brain and if he’d had a similar reaction to Colyn back then, then maybe just seeing the boy was enough to contemplate murder in seconds.

He set Lulu and Pip aside, all ready for getting dressed in the morning, and got ready for bed.  Two was sleeping in her own quarters tonight.  He was okay with that.  He might get up in the middle of the night and check to make sure Colyn was still in his quarters locked up tight.  It’d be easier if he wouldn’t wake Two in the process.

However, as he was brushing his teeth, it occurred to him that Five had been unusually chipper after dinner, overly happy that he and Two were going to spend time together, and extremely vague on her own plans for the evening.  So vague, that he got dressed again and headed down the hall to her quarters to see what she was up to.

Colyn was standing in her doorway and Three slowed his pace, shamelessly eavesdropping.  He thought he smelled popcorn.  His stomach growled a little.  Mmm.  Popcorn.  He could go for some right now.

“You hooked all this up yourself,” Colyn was asking her.

“I told you I’m good with gadgets.  The Android actually put the screen up for me, but I got the rest ready.  It was easy.  A connection here, one there, and it all came together.”

“Cool setup.  I’m impressed.”  He stepped forward and Three followed him right into Five’s room.  Colyn didn’t notice.  Neither did Five.

Five was kneeling on the floor with her rear in the air in front of the screen, her head under the unit as she finished hooking it up.  Three noticed that the screen was facing the opposite way it had when they’d put it in her room a few weeks earlier during their viewing party.  It now faced her bed instead of the couch.

Had she learned nothing during that evening?

Colyn was ogling her.  Had to be.  The boy leaned a little to one side.  “This is a _great_ idea, Five.”

Three could practically hear the leer in the boy’s voice.

“I know it is.”

“I can’t wait to get started.”

“I thought we could watch a couple of these movies,” she got to her feet, “and the best part is that I made sure that Three is with,” she turned and gasped, “Three!”

He raised one hand, grinned, and waggled his fingers at her.

Bright spots of color appeared on her cheeks.

Colyn also turned, mouth dropping open, and confusion in his eyes.  “Where did you come from,” he asked.  “I’d swear you weren’t there a minute ago.”

“I was here.  I’m always here.  Watching.  I see everything.  _Everything_.”

The boy swallowed hard.

“So, what are we watching tonight?”  Three stepped forward, leaving the door open and clapping Colyn on the back.  The boy stumbled a little.

Five crossed her arms.  “Horror movie.”

“Great!”  A menu appeared on the screen.  “The Exorcist?  Can it be anything but The Exorcist?  Excellent choice.”  He picked up the popcorn and settled himself in the middle of Five’s bed, then shook the popcorn container.  “Anyone else having popcorn?”

“That’s ours,” Five snapped.  “Get your own.”

If he left, she’d close the door and lock it and figure out how to keep it locked.  No way.  “Colyn, why don’t you go down to the mess and get that tin of popcorn on the counter?  Just bring the whole thing.  Go on.  Shoo.”  He made a motion with one hand towards the hall.  He should’ve known Five was up to something when he’d noticed the popcorn tin sitting out.  Once Colyn was gone, he set the popcorn aside.  “What the hell are you thinking, kid?”

“Why are you here?  You’re supposed to be with Two.  You’re supposed to be with Two all night.  All _night_!  And it’s just a movie.”

“A movie.  In your quarters.  Alone.  With the screen pointed at your bed.”  He spread his arms and pointed both forefingers down at the mattress.  “At your _bed_.”

“Go away,” she hissed.  “I’ve got this.”

“No, you don’t.  Trust me.  You’re so far from having this that you’re not even on the right page.  You’re about ten behind him, maybe even fifteen.  When did you even arrange this?  I was sitting by you all night and when I wasn’t, Four and Six were.”

“We made plans while you were getting your fourth helping of dinner and Six and Four were discussing training techniques with Drea.”

“It wasn’t four plates.” 

Her brows rose.  “It was four.”

“No, it wasn’t.” 

“Uh, yes it was, Three.  I can count.”

“So can I,” he retorted but when he tallied them up mentally she was right.  It had been four plates.  No wonder he’d felt a little stuffed by the end of the meal.  “I’m staying and I’m sitting between you all night.  _And_ that big tub of popcorn is mine.”

“Three.  Please.  Stop.  Will you all just stop?”

She was begging him to go away and not embarrass her, but he couldn’t do that.  There was no way he was going to let Colyn do what Colyn thought he was going to do to her.  “Do you remember anything I said that night?  Anything that all?  Or was I talking to myself all night?”

“I remember everything you said.”

“Did you learn anything?”

She sighed.  “Men are horny scum who want nothing more than to get in a girl’s panties.”

“That extends to teenage boys.  Teenage boys are even hornier scum due to hormones and stuff.”

Another longer sigh left her and she rolled her eyes, her shoulders slumping as she resigned herself to doing this his way.

* * *

Two jerked awake.  Was that a scream?

She got out of bed and went into the hall.  The noise was coming from Five’s room and she began to have a little flashback to a few weeks earlier.  Moving into the doorway, she found Three, Five, and Colyn all on Five’s bed.  Five and Colyn were asleep.  Colyn was snoring and Five was so far on one edge that if she breathed wrong she’d fall off.  Three was in the middle, popcorn tin on his lap.  “What are you doing?”

He paused the picture.  “Watching a movie.”

She could easily guess what had happened.  Three had crashed the private viewing party Five had attempted to put together.  “You outlasted them?”

“Colyn put up a good fight, but I’ve outlasted better.”

“You know it’s almost three-thirty in the morning, right?”

“Is it?  I got my third wind a little bit ago.  Now I’m not tired.  I thought I’d watch the rest of this and see how it turns out, then wake Colyn up and get him to his room.  Breakfast is at six, right?”

“Three.  No.”

“Six-thirty?  I want to make sure I get his wake up call put in right.”

“Try eight.” 

“Eight’s like mid-morning.  Day is already done by then.  Got to get up, got to get moving.  Things to do.  Annoying little shits to throw out the airlock.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.  Apparently his mood was back to overprotective.  “I’ll bet Five’s completely pissed with you.”

He shrugged.  “She’ll get over it and I think she’ll be pissed with you, too.”

“Why is that?”

“Because she thought I was with you and would have no idea what she was up to.”

“To be fair, we were together for awhile.”

“Not doing what she assumed we’d be doing all night.  All night.  Those were the words she used.  I’m a little flattered that she thinks we have that much stamina.  All night is a lot of hours.”

She chuckled.  “Maybe some time we’ll test just how much stamina we do have.”

“Now, now…there are virgin ears in the room.”

It was her turn to shrug.  “They’re both asleep.”

“You messed up her plans just as much as I did.”

“And I wasn’t even aware I was doing it.”  Okay, maybe a tiny part of her had figured out what the girl might be planning when she’d seen the Android carrying the screen down the hall.  “Enjoy the rest of whatever this is and try to get some sleep before tomorrow.”

“Will do.”  He started the movie again.

She started to leave and glanced back in time to see him drag a blanket up and cover Five with it.  Two returned to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

 

Five paced in her quarters.

Everyone on the ship, save Two and the Android, were being unbelievably embarrassing.

Three and Four appeared to be in a contest to see who could behave in the most overprotective parental way, which wasn’t their place.  That was Six’s thing, not theirs.

And every time she opened her door, one of the crew was waiting.  Every friggin’ time.

Five was feeling cranky and it was only eight-thirty in the morning.  It wasn’t just low blood sugar either.  She was majorly annoyed.

There was a knock.  “Five?  It’s Two.  May I come in?”

“You, yes.  Anyone else, no.”

The door opened.  Two was carrying a tray.

“You coming to watch over me, too?  Like I’m a little baby who can’t be trusted?”

She held up the tray.  “No, I thought you’d be hungry considering how little you ate yesterday.”

Five relaxed and closed the door.  “Hell, yes!  I’m starving!”

Two set the tray down.  “You know, guys don’t care if a girl eats.  They know we do.  It’s silly to eat next to nothing because you think that’s what a guy wants to see.  You don’t see me doing that, do you?  I’m hungry, I eat.”

When she lifted the lid on the tray, Five almost cried.  Two had brought her all of her favorites, including a mug of hot chocolate.  Her stomach had been growling since lunch the previous day.  She sat down to eat.  “Thank you!”

“Don’t thank just me.  The Android put the tray together for you.  I just brought it to you.”  She picked up the coffee cup on one side of it and sat down.  “Want to tell me what happened last night?”

She rolled her eyes and munched on a piece of bacon.  “Three happened.  That should be enough explanation.”  After a few bites of pancakes drenched in syrup, she continued.  “I told him I had it.  I told him.  He didn’t listen.  He didn’t ask what I meant.  He just assumed I didn’t have it and ruined my well thought out date.”

“How did you ‘have it’?”

“I gave the Android access to the camera in my workstation, turned it so she could see the whole room and kept a voice link open.  She was monitoring everything.  She could see and hear _everything_ and I gave her specific instructions as to what sort of behavior I was going to accept from Colyn and what I wouldn’t.  She knew when to step in.  But Three--”

“Didn’t think of that option,” Two finished for her.  “That _was_ rather well thought out.  Good planning.”

“Thank you.  And it would have worked.  But Three assumed and I’m so pissed at him!”  She wolfed down a few more bites of pancake, glad to have the rumbling in her stomach finally easing.  Next time, she wasn’t doing any of that ‘eat light’ crap that articles always said a girl should do.  She was going to follow Two’s example and eat a real meal, which she should have done in the first place.

“The Android was on the bridge.” 

“She assured me she could make the trip from there to my quarters in seconds if need be.”

Two sipped her coffee.  “Sure you don’t want to slow down?  You’re inhaling that.”

“I am so hungry.  Where were you last night?  I thought you and Three were having drinks?”

“We had drinks, but I had to be awake early.  I didn’t stay.”

“That explains it,” she half muttered to herself.  He hadn’t been distracted by Two because Two wasn’t there to distract him all night in one way or another.  Damn.

Two sat back and crossed her legs.  “I have a wild idea for you.  Maybe you should sit down with Three, Four, and Six, tell them your plans for the day, and give them a heads-up on any further precautions you’ve taken.”

Five stopped eating and stared at her.  Was she serious?  “No way.”

“Why not?  I believe your plans might go a bit smoother if they were aware--”

She snorted.  “No.  If they were aware, they’d get in the way even more because they’d know where I was going to be.  No.  I’ve told _you_ I’ve made plans and the Android is aware.  That’s enough.”

“Five.”

“No.  If they’re going to act like I can’t be trusted when to say ‘no’ or take care of myself, then they don’t deserve to be in the know.”  It sounded perfectly rational to her, but she could see Two was skeptical. 

Her eyes narrowed a fraction and she pursed her lips a moment before reaching for her coffee with a small shake of her head.  “At least let me tell Three what you’d had planned last night.”

“No.”  Five shook her head.  “He should know me by now.  They all should know me by now.  I’m not helpless.  I lived on the streets for years.  Years.  Have they forgotten that?  I took care of myself long before they even knew me.  No.  I did this their way all day yesterday.  It’s _my_ turn.”

Her sigh was long and resigned.  “You’re going to do this no matter what I say.”

“Yes.”

“Stubbornness like this isn’t a trait you really want to be sharing with Three.”

Five could see that Two didn’t approve.  It was in her eyes.  “I was stubborn long before I knew all of you.  I think.” 

“Fine.  But don’t let things get too out of control.  Remember who you’re dealing with.  Six will give you a talking to when it’s all over, but Three and Four?  They could really be violent if pissed off enough.  Now before you get started on your one day war against the men of the Raza, you need to know that Three met Colyn about a year ago or so.  Met him, wanted to kill him for a couple reasons, and nearly did.  There was a two day period where Colyn apparently annoyed the hell out of him and I think there’s a chance that buried memory is influencing him.  When I say be careful, I mean it Five.  Don’t push Three too far or you could get Colyn killed.”  She started putting the empty plates back on the tray.  “He’s just a boy.  There are plenty of them out there.”

“He’s my soulmate, Two.”

“You’ve known him a day.  Talk to him awhile before you decide you’re really soulmates.  Let me tell Three your precautions from last night.  It’ll keep him from wanting to kill Colyn quite so much.”

“Don’t tell him.”  She stirred her hot chocolate.

The lid was set back on the tray.  “How about Nyx?  May I tell her?”

“She’s been helping them.”

“Purely for the entertainment factor.”

Five thought about it.  “Okay, but she can’t tell Three, Four, and Six either.”

Two stood and lifted the tray.  “I’ll be on the bridge most of the day if you need me.  Don’t be too reckless,” she cautioned once more.  “Want to tell me more about your plans for the day?”

“No.”

“Okay.”  She nodded.  “I will step in if I see things getting out of hand though.  You may not see everything the Android and I do.  If and when I step in, will you accept it like the adult you keep wanting us treat you as?”

She stared up at Two, thinking about it.  She considered that Two hadn’t done anything so far save give a few words of caution and slowly nodded.  “I will.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“Good.  We’ll monitor everything and stop it if it gets out of hand.” 

She left and Five began to plan.

She opened her door.  Three was waiting outside.  “Go away,” she snapped and closed her door again, locking it.  She finished the dregs of her hot chocolate, gave her hair and makeup a quick check, and turned on some music to cover any noises that might carry to the hall.

Fortified with a full stomach, she carefully opened her vent and hoisted herself up into it.  Dropping out was the easy part, it was getting back in that was difficult.  Since she couldn’t just walk out the door, she had to pull herself into the vent.  It took far longer than she’d anticipated.  She lay in the vent a moment with her legs dangling out of the grate, panting from the exertion. 

Maybe she should ask Four to add some weight work to their routine.

Upper body strength would be good right now…. 

When she could breathe normally again, she closed the grate, then began crawling towards the guest quarters.  Colyn was on the bed, looking bored.  She knocked lightly on the panel to get his attention.  He perked up when he noticed her and she pointed towards the hall.

“Drea, I’m going to go get a snack in the mess,” he said.

Five hurried to the nearest exit point to meet him.  Luckily, it was the grate that didn’t make a screeching noise when she opened it.  She’d oiled most of them, but there were a couple that even oil didn’t help.

He was waiting, helping her down from the vent, hands warm on her hips.

She put a finger over her lips to keep him from saying anything since they were still too near her own quarters and quickly led him away and down to the next level.

“You are full of surprises,” he said once they were out of earshot, taking her hand in his and threading their fingers together.

“You have to be with this crew.”

“I thought you were locked in your quarters.  Every time I went to look, that Three guy was waiting.  You know, I keep thinking I know him from somewhere, but I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone named Three before.”

“Well, his real name isn’t Three, it’s--”

“He does kind of look like this guy Drea bribed last year, but she bribes a lot of guys, so maybe not.  He does look a lot like him, though, but maybe I’m remembering wrong.”

He’d cut her off.  Like she hadn’t even said anything.  Five was briefly annoyed, but let it go because he was her soulmate after all.  “Why does she bribe a lot of guys?”

“There’s a slight chance I may get into some trouble now and then.  Little stuff.  Gambling.  Stealing.  Hookers….  The hookers were a misunderstanding.  They weren’t for me, I swear.  I thought I was doing the guy a favor.  See, he went to this place to buy a girl for a few hours...”

“You mean a brothel,” she supplied.

“Yeah, a brothel, and he wanted a curvy redhead.  He was very specific with the girl at the desk.  She had to be a curvy redhead, but if one wasn’t available, he wanted a bendy blonde instead, the bendier the better.”

She frowned.  Those phrases sounded familiar.  In fact, she remembered Three mentioning a bendy blonde a couple days before their outing a few weeks earlier. 

“When he went to a back room to wait for his order, I went to the desk and added an exotic brunette.  Unfortunately, I somehow changed his order to men, not women.  I’m not really sure how that happened, but it did….”

Five bit her lip to keep from laughing.  She could almost see Three’s reaction to two men walking in when he’d been expecting a curvy female redhead.  “Why did they let you change his order to begin with?”

“I slipped the girl some cash.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  I thought he’d enjoy a bonus girl, but I ended up with a gun in my face and Drea handing him a chunk of cash not to shoot me.  When I say a chunk of cash, I mean an obscene amount, too.  I think she even had to talk to my mom to up the amount.” 

“How did you get into the brothel?  They don’t allow anyone under eighteen.”

“I bribed the doorman.”

“Sure.  Right.”

“So, do you think he’ll still be waiting?”

She blinked.  “Yeah.  He’ll be waiting until it dawns on him that I probably got in the vent and crawled out.”  It wouldn’t take very long.  When she didn’t open her door again, he’d figure it out and come looking for her.  “We should probably keep moving.”

“Where to?”

“I know a place.”  She led him down the halls, pausing every so often to listen for anyone coming.

“Hold on.”  He tugged her towards one alcove, pressing her to the wall.  His hand released hers to grasp her waist.  “Let’s take a minute.”  His free hand raised, fingers dragging along her cheek in a slow caress.

Her heartbeat seemed to be running in her chest.  It was going to happen!  She knew it!  He was going to kiss her!

Colyn smiled, head bending.

Five closed her eyes, but just as his lips touched hers, Four’s voice sounded behind Colyn.

“There you are.  I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Colyn.  I promised to show you my knife collection yesterday.  I think now is an excellent time.”

Opening her eyes, she saw disbelief on Colyn’s face as he turned and leaned against the wall beside her.  “Where did you come from?”

“I was here.  I’m always here.  Watching.  I see everything.  _Everything_.”

Five rolled her eyes.  It was the same thing Three had said the night before.

Jerks.

Wait.  How had Four known where they were?  How had he snuck up on them?  She’d swear no one had been following them.  “Not now, Four.”

He quirked a brow at her.

“No, no it’s cool,” Colyn said, the hand on her waist sliding around so that his arm was around her.  “We’ll, uh, go look at some knives.  Could be cool.”

At least she got to have his hand on her butt for a minute.  Until Six and Drea showed up.

* * *

All day long, it had been one thing after another.

Colyn carefully opened the grate in his room.  Five had said it was easy and it was.  He hoisted himself up into it and started crawling.  He was supposed to be changing clothes, but he figured he had plenty of time before Drea and Six realized he wasn’t actually doing that.  They were busy talking and playing cards.

The crew on this ship were more on the ball than most.  First, that Four guy had shown them his knife collection, with an emphasis on physical demonstrations.  Colyn had never seen a guy twirl knives around quite like that before.  He’d gotten the feeling that the man might not like him very much.  Then, Six had corralled them to play cards with him and Nyx, while Drea stood guard at the door.  As for that Three guy….

Every time Colyn tried to do anything to really get to know Five, he was there, making pointed comments and being obnoxious.  Super obnoxious, too.  He’d even threatened to break Colyn’s fingers one by one if he even tried to cop a feel.  Five denied that Three was her dad, but he was totally giving off a dad-vibe.  Colyn had dealt with dads before and that was the way they acted, so he _must_ be her dad.  Must be nice to have a dad who cared.  Colyn didn’t.  His was a jackass who never bothered to ask how Colyn was or even wanted to see him.

Five was actually pretty lucky to have a dad like that, as annoying as it was to Colyn’s own plans.

He paused over one room.

That Four guy and Nyx were getting it on.  He watched a minute, putting himself and Five in their place.  Mmm.  He’d totally be down with Five doing that to him.  If she wanted.

As quietly as possible, he continued on, trying to remember the hasty directions Five had given him.  The next vent he came to was over Three’s room.  Man, it really was almost like they were telepathically linked somehow, because the man seemed to know just what Colyn was going to do as he was doing it.  No, _before_ he did it.  How did he do that?  How had he known every time Colyn had been going to try to sneak a feel of Five’s gorgeous breasts?  Or lean in for a kiss?  He had yet to be able to kiss her without interruption.

The more he thought about it, the more he thought Three _was_ the guy from a year ago.  But if he was, and if he was Five’s dad, and Colyn thought he was, where had Five been?  Why hadn’t she been on the station, too?  Or had she stayed on the ship?  Had it even been this ship?  Had her mom wanted her to stay on the ship?  For that matter, who was her mom?  Two maybe?  Was she old enough?  He wasn’t good at adult ages.

Three fell onto his bed and that Two chick appeared.  It looked like they were going to be getting horizontal as well.  They weren’t naked, but he thought they might get that way fairly soon by how she kissed the guy.

Geez, was everyone on this ship getting laid but him?

Well, and Drea and Six, but he wouldn’t count them out in that number just yet.  They’d been flirting up a storm all day.

Maybe he was right.  Maybe Three was Five’s dad and Two was her mom.  After all, they seemed to be a couple.

He crawled further, got turned around a minute and had to stop and remember Five’s instructions.  With any luck, Colyn would be having some love in the afternoon himself with the green haired love of his life.  He found the next vent open and Five waiting. 

With a pleased smile, he dropped down into the room.


	6. Chapter 6

 

Drea spent her day alternating between three separate tasks.  The first was keeping an eye on Colyn.  He was actually behaving far better than he usually did, harping on how he thought Five was ‘the one’.

The girl wasn’t.  The two had nothing in common from what she’d learned about Five from the crew.  What attracted Colyn was how much his mother would hate Five.  If it was up to Drea, she’d let Colyn and Five have a couple good hours of conversation by themselves.  It’d be enough to make Five realize that she was a lot smarter than Colyn and lose interest.

It wasn’t that Colyn was dumb.  He wasn’t.  He just had no interest in anything remotely cerebral.  If he spent a quarter of the time on his studies that he’d spent on stupid schemes and pranks, he’d pass everything with flying colors.  As it was, he passed only because of his mother.  Cash talked and Colyn knew just enough to annoy most people.

Such as Three/Marcus Boone.

Her second task was keeping an eye on that situation.  It was escalating about on schedule in comparison to the previous time they’d met.

She hadn’t shared everything with Six, like how she and Boone had had to chase Colyn all over that particular station and how their first real interaction had been almost laid back, with Boone strongly suggesting Colyn return what he’d stolen before some ‘very bad things commenced’.  It had been the second interaction when the guns had come out and Boone’s temper had been on full display.

Drea thought back to that trip.

Colyn was always on the lookout for potential father figures and role models.  His choices were usually the worst ones possible.  His judgment was rather like his mother’s in that regard.  The diva had it all together professionally, but her private life was a mess.  Colyn had the idea that men like Boone, career criminals, were ‘cool’, so when Boone had walked by and Colyn had overheard him talking, he’d decided to attach himself to the man and learn a few things.

At first, it had been harmless.  Drea would admit that.  He’d wanted to study Boone’s way of talking, dressing, everything, and followed him around.  She could still hear Boone’s almost puzzled, ‘you lost, kid?’ and then the question to her as to whether Colyn was ‘one of those _special_ kids’ when Colyn had kept staring at him.  He’d told Drea to keep Colyn away from him and she’d tried.  Really, she had.

But Colyn was slippery when he got an idea in his head.  He’d stolen money, cheated at cards, and somehow gotten into a brothel and messed up the man’s order.

That was actually what had gotten the gun in Colyn’s face.  The brothel mishap.  It had been the last straw.

And Drea didn’t blame Marcus Boone one bit.

She turned her attention back to Six and the cards on the table.  Her third self-assigned task was getting to know Six again.  He was still sweet, still principled, and still far too nice for his own damn good.

He glanced at the door.  “Colyn’s been gone awhile.  Does it usually take him this long to change clothes?”

“Nope.  You said Five likes to crawl in the vents?”

“She does.  Would he even fit?”  He seemed to follow her train of thought easily.

“You’d be surprised at some of the places I’ve hauled him out of.  I’ll go check and see what’s keeping him.”  She left the mess and passed Two and Three in the corridor.  Two was pulling Three into one room.

Colyn, of course, wasn’t in his room.  The grate was hanging open.

Drea sighed and wondered which room was Five’s, because that was inevitably where he’d gone.

It only took a few moments longer for Five’s indignant yell to sound, followed immediately by Three’s barked, “What the _hell_ were you thinking, kid?”

* * *

Three needed a distraction and Two decided to give him one using the devious method Six had suggested the day before.

She physically dragged him from Five’s door and into his own room, then shoved him onto his bed and climbed on top of him.

He was willing to be distracted, hands moving over her.  “What’s this?”

“Keeping you from being bored,” she replied and kissed him.

The plan was to have a little fun and it went well for a few minutes, until he wrenched his mouth from hers and asked, “Do you hear something?”

“No.”  Still, she sat up and listened just in case he wasn’t having auditory hallucinations.

There was a soft thump from the ceiling.

“There.  That.  You heard that, right?”  One hand squeezed her hip, the other one breast.  “I’m not imagining it?”  Slowly, he slid his hand out from under her shirt.

“You’re not imagining it.  It sounds like--”

“Someone in the vent who is a bit heavier than Five.”

She sighed and swung off of him.  “Go on.  I’m right behind you.”

Drea was in the hall.  “It is never dull on this ship,” Drea observed in a dry tone.

“You have no idea,” Two replied and opened the door.

Colyn stood there, hands raised.  “I only wanted to see her, I swear.  We weren’t going to do anything.  Much.”

Drea glanced at Two.  “No contact for the rest of the day.  All privileges revoked until morning.”

“That might be best,” she agreed with a nod.

Six came down the hall.  “Need any help?”

“Oh, come on!”  Colyn dropped his hands.  “I wasn’t going to do anything.  Much.  She invited me over.  I swear.  Ask her.”

“So you walk down the hall and knock, you don’t crawl through the vent and drop in.”  Two shook her head.  “Six, would you personally watch him for awhile?  Somewhere he can’t get in the vents.  I’d hate to have to weld another grate shut.  You know that’s what Three will want.”

“Of course.  How about the isolation chamber in the infirmary?”

Two smiled.  “Perfect.  I think even Three will approve of that arrangement.”

* * *

“Stop it!”

Three grabbed hold of Five’s arm and dragged her out of her quarters, stopping only to lock Colyn in there.  He was more concerned with getting her where they could keep an eye on her than catching Colyn.  Colyn could wait.

“Let go!  Let go of me!”

“What the _hell_ were you thinking?”    

She struggled, but he didn’t let go, towing her past Two and Drea and shoving her into his quarters.  He closed the door.  “What were you thinking,” he bit out.  He seemed to be saying that a lot to her.  The many ways her plan of Colyn crawling through her vent could’ve gone wrong played out in his head.  There were many ways and a few of them rather horrifying.  Three was glad she hadn’t remembered to lock her door.

She crossed her arms and didn’t answer.

He tried again in a calmer voice.  “What were you thinking, kid?”

She looked away and snorted.

“You don’t just give out your vent number to some guy you just met.”

“You do,” she shot back.  “You bring women back all the time.”

Not all the time and not recently.  Not since he and Two had come to an understanding.  Well…awhile before that actually.  It had been a long time since he’d brought a woman back to the ship.

The door opened, Two stepping inside.  She closed the door behind her.

“Why can’t I spend time with Colyn?  You can’t even give me a real reason besides you don’t want me to and you don’t like him.  Those aren’t reasons.”

He snorted.  “As far as you’re concerned, he’s Horny Humperdink and you _will_ throat punch him if he tries anything.”

“I thought you changed it to Dirk Dumbass,” Two said with a small smirk.

Three shook his head, ignoring the comment.  “I don’t care how many precautions you think you have in place, kid, it only takes a minute for bad things to happen.”

Five gasped and shot an angry look at Two.  “You told him?  I asked you not to!”

“Don’t blame her.  Blame the robot.  She’s the one who blabbed.  She thought I already knew and if I had known ahead of time--”

“You probably still would’ve crashed my date.”

“You won’t know now will you?”

Two stepped between them.  “Calm down.  Both of you.  Five, you can’t spend further time with Colyn right now because his bodyguard is forbidding contact at present.  It’s her call.  When Colyn’s mother isn’t there, Drea is responsible for him.  She says no.”

“But I like him and he likes me.  We’re _soulmates_.  How can you get in the way of that?”

Three half groaned and half sighed.  “Kid, there isn’t any such thing out there for anyone.  It’s a concept from fairytales that’s never existed in real life.”  The words got him an annoyed stare from Two.  “What?”

She shook her head, declining to comment when he thought she had a lot to say right now. 

He could see it on her face.  Her brows were drawn down a fraction and her lips set in a tight line.  He’d managed to piss her off in under ten seconds.  Perhaps a new record?  But why had what he said pissed her off?  It was truth.  It was a romantic idea with no basis in real life.  He turned back to Five.  “You’re too young for him and that’s final.”

“He’s my age.  How is that too young?”

“He’s a year older than you and has ideas that you’re too young for.”

“I have ideas,” she said, crossing her arms and getting that stubborn face, the one that indicated she was going to dig in and argue until she passed out from exhaustion.  Her jaw clenched.  “I have _lots_ of ideas.”

“No you don’t.  You just think you have ideas.  You really don’t.  They’re all his ideas.”

Five squeezed her eyes shut a few seconds and reopened them.  “Two, will you make him stop?  Please?”

“Will you make her see reason?”  Three gestured at Five.

Two pursed her lips, then twitched a brow.  “I’ll take care of this, Three.  You can leave.”

“These are my quarters.”

“Leave temporarily.”

He considered the proposal.  “As long as you make it clear that if Horny Humperdink _touches_ her he loses the appendage of my choice.”  And he had the perfect one in mind for the boy to lose.

“You’re not going to castrate him.”

“ _What_?”  Five sat heavily on the end of the bed.  “No one ever said anything about castrating anyone.”

“No castrating him,” Two repeated.  “You’re not going to.”

“Want to bet on that?  It’d only take a minute.  Snip, snip.”

Five shook her head several times in a row.  “Two!  That’s…it’s _mutilation_!  He’s being completely unreasonable!”

“I’m trying to protect you,” he snapped back.

“I don’t need protecting from Colyn.  He wouldn’t hurt me.  He said he wouldn’t.”

Three glanced at Two.  “Kid, we always say that and even when we mean it, it still somehow happens in some way.”

“Out.”  Two pointed at the door.

He stepped outside.  She came out a few minutes later.

“What was that in there,” she demanded with a raised brow and crossed arms.

“What was what?  We have a teenaged sexual predator on this ship and she wants to date him.”

“He’s not a sexual predator, Three.  He’s a normal teenaged boy.”

“That’s what I said.  Teenaged sexual predator.  Her taste in boys sucks.  I want to punch that smart mouth right off him.”

Two looked up and down the corridor, then stepped close and put her hands on his chest, grasping his vest and tugging him closer.  “Relax.”

“Why aren’t you more concerned about this?  The rest of us are.”

“Because I have all of you being concerned for me and I don’t think there’s anything to worry about because it’s a crush.  She’s not really going to let him do anything.”

“You think so, huh?”  Due to the sheer amount of recklessness Five was showing the past few hours, he greatly doubted she wasn’t going to let the little punk at least cop a feel.  The boy had already tried multiple times.  “I think she was well on her way to letting him do a lot of what the rest of us are worried about.”

“I suspect she’d hear your voice in her head telling her that him touching her deserves a throat punch and why the hell is she waiting to administer it?”

He grasped her hips.  “Your optimism on this is cute.  _Wrong_ , but really kind of cute.”

“I will bet you that he never gets anything but maybe a kiss and not even a French kiss.”

“You’re willing to bet money on this?”

“I have other currency in mind.”  With a playful shrug of one brow, she tugged him down and whispered a suggestion that had him really regretting not wearing looser pants today.  Two drew back a fraction.  “Deal?”

Three glanced at his door, where Five was safely ensconced.  “Deal.  I’ll collect from you after I kill him when he does everything I think he’s going to do.”

“Oh, I think I’ll be collecting from you.”  She released him and stepped back, then slid her gaze down him slowly.  “I’ll be on the bridge…if you _need_ me.”

“Now I need a cold shower and I can’t go take one,” he muttered to himself.  He watched the sway of her hips until she turned the corner, then moved across the hall to sit and watch the door.

* * *

When Three came back with her dinner, Five decided to take a different tactic since stubbornness obviously wasn’t getting her anywhere.

“I’ll pay you to let me out of here and let me see Colyn.”  She thought she at least had a shot of his usual level of avarice overpowering this protective streak.  A little bribery could go a long way with him.  She’d seen it.

He set a tray on the table and glanced at her.  “Will you?”

“I will.”  Approach it like a business deal.  That was the ticket.  Nice and calm.  Rational.  Purely business.  Appeal to the avarice.

“How much?”

She tried to not be too eager as she named a sum that was a mere fraction of what she had saved up.

“Are we talking straight bribery here or are there extra conditions?”

“The only condition is letting me out to see Colyn.”

“No.  Not an option.  Eat your dinner.  Six took over the galley and made some fancy chicken thing that was actually kind of tasty.  I think he was trying to impress Drea.”

Damn.  He didn’t even hesitate.  She upped the amount.

Three shook his head.  “Mm-mm.  Nope.”

Five went up to twenty-five percent of her savings, which wasn’t inconsiderable.  It’d get him a lot of booze, ammunition, and maybe even a hooker or two if he wanted.  Not that she’d priced any of those things recently and she was guessing on the hookers.  Though if he and Two were together now, he wouldn’t be interested in the hookers.  She didn’t think.  Unless that was part of their arrangement.

And now she was sort of grossed out by the thought.

He looked up at the ceiling as if he was considering the offer, then back at her.  “Nah.  Pass.”

Each offer she made ended in some version of the word ‘no’ and frankly, she was shocked when he refused to be bribed with all of her savings.  It felt like she’d fallen onto her back from some great height and it was a little hard to breathe even.  It was inconceivable to her that Three couldn’t be bribed, like seeing a dog walk on two legs and talk.  Bribery had worked before on him.  She’d seen it work, but this?  She could barely wrap her mind around this change.  Had he been replaced by a clone?  Had she fallen asleep and was dreaming?  There had to be some explanation.  Something rational.  This wasn’t rational.

“Try again, kid,” he said almost gently.

“But I can’t,” she protested.  “That’s all I have.”

“Then I guess you’re out of luck, aren’t you?”  He frowned a little.  “All you have?  Geez.  You keep behaving like you’re destitute and you’re the richest one on the ship.  We’ll come back to how in the hell you’ve got that much money after we’ve safely left Colyn on his home planet.”

She shifted tactics again.  “Please.”  The word was said with that sad face she always used that, under normal conditions, got her whatever she wanted from the men on the ship.

“No.  Sorry.”  He winced a little comically.  “That was a lie.  _Not_ sorry.  Not one little bit.”

Annoyance was welling up and she made a noise of frustration.  “Why?  Why are you being so unreasonable?  He’s just a boy.”

“Exactly.  A boy.  I was a boy once.  A seventeen year old boy and I know what seventeen year old boys want from sixteen year old girls.”

“You don’t remember being seventeen,” she pointed out, yet knew exactly where this was headed.  How could she not?  It was the same refrain from the past day.

He waved a hand in the air.  “Beside the point.  I know what men want from women and it’s the exact same thing seventeen year old boys want from sixteen year old girls.  To--”

“Get in their panties,” she finished for him with a sigh, a roll of her eyes, and a shake of her head.

“See?  You understand this.  We’ve had this discussion.  I could’ve sworn you understood every word I said that night on the subject, too.”

“But you’re being unreasonable.”

“Kid, you haven’t seen how unreasonable I can be on this.”

“What can possibly happen?  I mean really.  We’re on the ship.  We’re not stopped somewhere on a station.  What--”

He crossed his arms.  “Do you _seriously_ want a list of every possible thing considering some of the things that have already happened to five of the adults on this ship while _on_ this ship?”

“I didn’t mean that sort of stuff.”

“That sort of stuff is what happens and you have to accept that when six adults are trying to keep you away from a guy, there’s a good reason for it.”

“Overprotective much?”  She dropped into the chair at the table.

“Our point of view is going to have to differ on that.”  Coming to her, he crouched down in front of her.  “Consider a couple things here.”

“Like what?”

“He’s stronger than you.”

“So?”

“So even with what you’ve been learning with Four, he’s still stronger.”

“Is there a point to this?”  Something flickered in his eyes and Five had a sudden flash of memory. 

_Boone was crouched in front of her in that same spot.  He was smiling a little, but his voice was hard, cold, and scary.  She felt her stomach flip about a little inside her and couldn’t focus on what he was saying because the look in his eyes was far worse than his words.  There was boiling anger in his gaze and she knew that if Boone had his way in this, she’d die for real.  He wasn’t just trying to scare her.  he meant business.  She’d die and no one would be able to save her.  He’d make sure of it._

She looked away, down at the floor, the memory slipping away even as it’s surfacing caused a fast physical reaction.  He’d been a stranger with Three’s face, someone who just happened to look like him.  Tears rose and slipped free in a humiliating hot rush, her hands suddenly shaking.  She couldn’t stop the tears even though they weren’t from the current situation.

“We’re done talking about this.  The decision has been made.  You’re not leaving this room and you will _not_ in any way tamper with systems in an attempt to escape this room.  Do you understand me, kid?” 

 She made herself look back at him.  His expression clearly said that her answer needed to be ‘yes’, but was hardly the expression that had once terrified her.  She saw frustration and a little bit annoyance, yet no real anger.  In a way, he didn’t even really look like the same man.  “Yes.”  She tried to stop crying and couldn’t seem to, looking back down at the floor.

He paused, sighed, then stood.  “Eat your dinner.”  He left.

Resigned, she reached for the tray and ate her dinner.  The chicken dish really was pretty good. 


	7. Chapter 7

 

“You’re awake early,” the Android said as she stepped onto the bridge.

Three glanced her way.  He was in his favorite chair, with his feet up on the panel and a cup of coffee in his hand.  “Couldn’t sleep.” 

He didn’t tell her that he hadn’t really even tried.  He’d spent a part of the night watching his door to make sure Colyn didn’t try to sneak in with Five and when Nyx had come to relieve him, he’d gone to the mess and dozed in a chair until it had become clear that he didn’t have a chance in hell of actually sleeping.  Two had tried to coax him in with her, but he still had that feeling at the base of his skull that something could happen if he wasn’t watching.  Three suspected it’d remain until Colyn was finally off the ship for good.

“Why,” she inquired as she began to look at the panel across from him.

She didn’t need to look at any of the panels.  The information was fed directly to her, but she seemed to think it made her look more human to do that.  “I made Five cry last night.”  He cleared his throat.  “Big tears, sobs, the whole nine yards.  I don’t remember ever seeing her cry like that before.  Little tears, sure, but ones like those….for a second, it looked like she was terrified of me.”

The moment had surprised him and he hadn’t been sure just how to respond right then.  Her reaction had been way out of place with the situation and caused a sharp burst of discomfort inside of him.

“I’m sure it wasn’t the first time you made her cry.”

He blinked.  “Thanks.”

“I meant no offense, Three.  I simply mean that based on what we know of how you were before the memory wipe, there is a high probability that you caused her to cry several times.  That all of you did.  You may have even made a game out of it.”

“Don’t hold back, robot.  Tell me what you really think.”

“I’m not and I am.  It’s a logical conclusion based on what knowledge has been revealed about all of you thus far.”

“Doesn’t really make me feel better about it,” he told her.

“It should.”

No matter how he thought about it, he didn’t see how it was supposed to make _him_ feel better.  “How?”

She looked over at him once more.  “Because knowing you made her cry brings up feelings of regret and sadness.  It means that your emotions are fully engaged.  You care if she hurts.  If we all do.  You’re allowing yourself to feel those emotions.  That is why.”

It was truth, too.  The more time that passed, the more he found himself the exact man that had stayed to take care of Sarah, as if it was his real and true default setting.  “One way to look at it.”  And a bit uncomfortable to acknowledge really.

“A good way?”

“Sure.”  He took a long drink of coffee.

“You’re welcome.  We’ll be arriving at the Fortuna home world by late-afternoon.  We’ve received landing instructions and an invitation to a party to celebrate Colyn’s return home.”

“A party, huh?  Sounds like fun.”

“They’ve extended the invitation to me as well.”

“Well, put on your pretty party dress.”  He finished the last of the coffee in the cup.

“I may.”

He stared at her.  “You’re serious.”

“I’ve been wanting a place to wear it.”  There was a hint of an anticipatory smile on her lips.

“You have a pretty party dress?”

“I do.  It’s very pretty.  Would you like to see a picture of it?  There is one available in the database.”

“No.  Surprise me when we get there.”  He looked down into his coffee cup.  “I’m going to get more coffee.  Caffeine is going to be my friend today.” 

“Don’t drink too much or you’ll become jittery,” she warned.  “You should consider attempting to sleep.  You appear to be in the beginning stages of sleep deprivation, the consequences of which can include--”

“Thanks for the tip,” he cut her off and left.  Three took a detour past his quarters.  He found his door open, Nyx sprawled on his bed asleep, and Five gone.  His inventive round of cursing woke Nyx.

She blinked sleepily and sat up.  “What happened?”  One hand raised to cover a wide yawn that almost made him yawn, too.  “Where am I?” 

“You’re in my quarters on my bed.”

“How did I get here?”

“ _You_ tell me.”

“I have no idea.  Last thing I remember was stretching out in that uncomfortable chair in the hall.”  She swung her legs over the side of the bed.  “How did you manage to score the really comfortable bed?  Mine isn’t nearly this comfortable.”

“Luck.  You fell asleep on the job, Nyx, and Five’s gone.”

She rubbed the back of her neck.  “Sorry.  Two brought me coffee but it didn’t help.  I drank the entire thermos, too.”

He started to leave and stepped right back in as what she’d said hit him.  “What did you just say?”

“Two brought me coffee and it didn’t help?”

“That’s what I thought you said.”

He stalked down the hall to Two’s room.  She let him in and stood there, smoothing lotion over her naked body, acting all nonchalant.  He made sure the door was closed and watched her, appreciating the view.  His shoulders began to relax and with that relaxation came a wave of weariness.  Man, was he tired!

“Did you want something,” she asked, smiling a little.

Oh yeah, the reason he’d come down here.  “You’re trying to skew the bet.”

“Bet?”  Her brows rose.

“The one between us.”  He gestured back and forth with a finger.  “The one where you want to deal in some rather naughty currency.”

“How am I doing that?”  She reached for her clothes and started to get dressed.  “ _Why_ would I do that?  It’s not like either of us really loses if we lose.  It just…makes things a little more interesting.”

“You gave Nyx coffee.”

“I thought she’d need it.  It was late and she was yawning.  So?”

“You gave her drugged coffee.”

She started laughing.  “Are you serious?  You think I’d drug Nyx just to try to win this bet with you?  Think about that a minute, Three.  Really think about it.”

“I _am_ thinking about it.  She fell asleep and Five is gone.”

“She’s on the ship somewhere.  Relax.”  Her amused expression slipped away and she studied him, concern in her eyes.  “Did you get any sleep at all last night?”

“No.”

“The night before?  I remember telling you to get some rest.  Did you?”

He ignored the implication that his current state of mild sleep deprivation was causing paranoid behavior even though it was probably true.  It was probably what the robot had been about to say on the bridge.  “You’re trying to win.”

“I’m not.  The coffee was only coffee.  I swear.  You can test the dregs if you want.  You should have come in here with me last night.”

“Then I still wouldn’t have gotten any sleep.”

“That’s probably true.”  Her lips curved again in an appealing little smile.  “Take a nap.  My bed is free and you’re already here.”  Coming to him, she undid the holster, removed it and carefully set it aside.  “It’s not a suggestion.  You keep telling me you can be a good boy and follow orders, so I’m making it an order.  Be a good boy.  Take one.  I’ll go find her and let you know when I do.”  Now she took the coffee cup from his hand and set it by the holster.  “You’re about to fall asleep where you stand.”

“I’m fine.”  Taking a nap did sound like a much better idea than searching the ship for Five.  “I’ve gotten by on less sleep before.”

“You’re not fine and you don’t need to.  There’s no reason to be stubborn.  Geez.  You and Five have the same sort of stubborn streak.”  She grasped his shirt and tugged him towards the bed.  “Back down.  I’m sure Four and Six have this covered at present.  Did you check with them to see if they know where she is?”

“No.”

“Now I _know_ you’re too tired to function.  Lie down.”

“That little punk--” His resistance to resting was being well and truly tested because her bed looked _really_ comfortable.  She hadn’t made it yet, so the covers were still mussed.

“Will have big consequences if he does anything.  Look, no one will kill him without you.  We’ll come wake you up before executing him.  You’ll be given every opportunity to shoot him.  Repeatedly if you want to.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”  One hand raised, fingers sliding along his jaw in a slow caress.  “I need you well rested, Three.”

“ _You_ do?”

“I do.  I need you on top of your game.” Her hand slid down to his chest.

“I’d rather be on top of you.”

“Later.  Providing you’re well-rested.  You be a good boy and maybe I’ll be a very naughty girl tonight.”   

The way she said it was definitely a promise.  That settled it.  “Just a quick nap won’t hurt.”

“Of course.  Short.”  She stepped back, hand dropping.

“An hour.  Maybe two.”  He sat and took off his boots.

“Or six or seven.”

“That’s too long.  Wake me for lunch.”

“I’ll go look for Five.”

Three laid down and dragged the covers over himself.  Her bed was definitely comfortable and smelled like that lotion she wore.  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, but was unable to fully relax until Two’s voice came through his comm.

“She’s in the mess having breakfast with Four.  He’s the one who sprung her this morning and left Nyx asleep on your bed.  Go to sleep, Three.”

He managed to remove his comm and set it aside before he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, five hours had passed.  It was nearly noon.  Three was refreshed and a little reluctant to get out of Two’s bed.  He was comfortable in her quarters and in her bed, so much so that he was becoming insanely curious as to what exactly their pre-mind wipe relationship had been.  There was an ease he had in these quarters that hinted at _something_.

Tossing the covers aside, he reached for his boots and put them on, then tidied her bed, strapped Lulu and Pip back on, and headed to the mess for lunch.  He was famished. It occurred to him that he’d actually missed breakfast.  That had to have been the first time in… _ever_.

Five was sitting beside Colyn, their chairs almost too close to allow for personal space and their heads close as they talked in hushed whispers.  Their plates were empty.  He noted that, then the absence of anyone else besides Drea and Six, and filled a plate, taking it to the table.

“You’re late today,” Six observed.

“I had something to take care of.”  He took a few bites, then reached for the salt shaker and salted his bowl heavily.  The Android had prepared some sort of stew, with chips and fruit on the side.  She didn’t seem to think half the things she made needed salt.  She also kept telling him his sodium levels were bloating him and he should drink more water to counteract it.  Bossy robot.  “Everyone else already been in?”

“An hour ago.  We were about ready to pack up what’s left and clean up.”

Three ate a chip and pondered the fact that Five wasn’t looking at him.  In fact, she seemed to be avoiding doing so, pointedly ignoring him.

He looked at Six and gestured a little at Five with his spoon.  The man shrugged.  Drea did as well.

Five spent all of lunch ignoring his presence.  Colyn, however, kept shooting little glances at him and keeping his hands where Three could see them.  At least the boy was learning something.  That was mildly encouraging.  Periodically, Three would smile at Colyn just to watch him squirm.

She left for awhile, coming back with a folder filled with some of her sketches.  Three had never seen them before, glancing through them when she handed them across the table for Drea to look at.  The kid had talent…and quite the portfolio.  An hour passed, the robot coming in and cleaning up, then leaving again.

Finally, Five and Colyn scooted their chairs back and stood.

Three, Drea, and Six did as well.

Five rolled her eyes and led Colyn from the mess.

Three moved to follow.  

“We should chat.”  Drea stepped in his way right outside the door to the mess, a hand between them raised to about chest height, palm facing him.  “Just you and me.  It won’t take long.  I promise.”

“I’ll watch them,” Six said and moved off after Colyn and Five.

“Sure.  Okay, Drea.  Let’s chat.”  He crossed his arms over his chest.  “What do you want to chat about?”

Her hand dropped.  “Oh, about Colyn and the plans you may have started to form for his early demise.”

“Started to form?”

She shrugged.  “The plans you already have, then.  You’re not quite to the ‘gun in his face’ stage yet.  Not seriously, anyway, but I thought I’d address the future situation early.  Before it fully percolates and brews.” 

“Like coffee.”

“Just like.” 

“Coffee’s usually best when it’s allowed to finish brewing.  Otherwise, it’s just water and grounds.”

“Well, this situation won’t be best if allowed to get to the conclusion you may have planned.  Better to head it off and keep it water and grounds.”  She withdrew a small flask from somewhere on her body.  Where, he wasn’t sure.  She was wearing tight leather once more.  Before she was off-ship, he really should ask her where she shopped.  “Like a sip?”  She opened the flask and took a sip, then held it out.

Because she was being friendly, he took the flask from her and took a drink.  His eyes watered and he thought the alcohol may have taken a layer of skin off the inside of his throat as it went down.

Holy mother of potent!  That had to be the strongest liquor he’d had in a long time!

“The miners on Terasul Five make the best moonshine.  It’s been rated as the most alcoholic substance in the galaxy.  Supposedly, it can cause blindness if consumed too quickly, though I’ve never come across any actual people it’s happened to.”

“That’s what this is?”  He took a much smaller sip.

“It is.”

“Tasty.”

“Isn’t it?  I have a few cases stashed on our home world.”

And with that statement, he knew exactly where this discussion was heading.  “You don’t say.”

Crossing her arms, she leaned against the wall beside him.  “I could be persuaded to perhaps part with a case.  If you were interested.”

“I might be.  Under what condition?”

“Don’t actually maim or kill Colyn.”

He winced and took another pull from the flask.  “Not sure I can do that, Drea.  Just the sight of him breathing gets on my nerves.”

She chuckled, her smile warm and friendly.  “We’ve had this conversation before.  Did Six tell you?  It’s not word for word, of course, as circumstances are different this time, but it’s going about the same way.”

“I’m consistent that way.”  He nodded a little.

“I wouldn’t call you consistent, Three. It’s more like you have certain priorities you prefer to attend to.  I understand that.  I don’t play as much to the rules as I did when Six knew me.  I can’t be effective as Colyn’s bodyguard without knowing what priorities some individuals put first or at least high on their list.”

“You think you know me?”

“No, I think I know what motivates you a good chunk of the time and I’m prepared to hand over a case of the moonshine and a nice monetary incentive to only scare Colyn, not hurt or kill him.  I’d like to keep this at the first level of interaction we had last time.  Nice and friendly.  Fairly relaxed.”  She held out some money that she’d also pulled from somewhere on her.  The amount was hefty.  “This is half of the monetary incentive I’m proposing.  Notice the amount?  Half,” she stressed, waving the money about a little.  “Upon delivering Colyn safely, and by that I mean alive and without a scratch, I’ll deliver the case and the rest of the cash.”

“Monetary incentive.  Let’s just call it what it is.  It’s a bribe.  Five tried to bribe me last night.  What makes you think your bribe will work?”  The amount she was proposing was rather nice.  Five wouldn’t be the richest one on the ship anymore.  That’d be kind of nice.

“I’m guessing her bribe was to let her out so she could run around with Colyn.”  One brow arched.

“It was.”

She nodded.  “I’m also guessing that mine will work because I can pay more than she can.”

“Don’t be too sure about that,” he told her, remembering the sum Five had offered that she’d claimed was her entire savings.

“It’s to your advantage to not kill him.  Yes, your crew will be paid in full if he returns home dead, but the reward Madame Fortuna will give if he’s alive is much better.  Plus, if you take my deal, this amount is just for you personally.  Between us.  A nice little sum.  Could buy a lot of ammunition.  Some luxury food items like real meat.  A new gun or two.  You could treat yourself.”  She glanced down the hall and back.  “You could treat Two to a fancy weekend somewhere.  Just the two of you.  The possibilities are endless really.”

Three looked at the money.  “I can still scare the little twerp?”

“Have at it.  He needs scaring every now and then.  It’s good for him.”

“You mean like when you drug him?  Good for him that way?”

She grinned, completely unrepentant.  “Definitely like.”

“Well, when you put it that way….” He grasped the money.  He thought he could ignore the urge to kill Colyn for the tidy sum she was offering.  “I believe we have a deal, Drea.”

“Excellent.”  She released the money to him.  “Pleasure doing business with you again, Three.  Keep the flask.”

“Thanks.  Hey, where do you get your clothes?”

She stared at him.  “My clothes?”

He gestured up and down her with a finger.  “The leather stuff.”

“There’s a shop on our home world.  It’s not far from Madame Fortuna’s estate.”

“How are the prices?”

Her stare turned puzzled.  “It’s a women’s store.”

“Uh-huh.  Again, how are the prices?  Reasonable?”

“I can afford it on my salary, which is reasonable.  Why?”

“No reason.”  He turned and walked away, feeling his shoulders beginning to relax.

Six’s annoyed voice came over the comm.  “Damn it, they went into the vents before I could stop them.  Apparently, Five opened a few of them when she went to get her sketches.”

Three thought a moment, considered how long it had been since lunch, Colyn’s appetite, and the possible destinations that would appeal at present for the two.  After a brief stop to put the flask and money in his quarters, he headed to the most likely destination.


	8. Chapter 8

“Your dad’s kind of scary,” Colyn said.

Five rolled her eyes.  Was there ever a moment when he wasn’t talking?  “He’s not my dad.  Geez.”  How many times did she have to tell Colyn that Three wasn’t her dad?  He was stuck on the idea.  He also seemed to think Two was her mom.

She crawled along behind him in the vent, directing him every so often as to where to go.  He kept up a steady monologue the entire time, not even listening for her responses to any of the questions.  After the hours of uninterrupted conversation courtesy of Six and Drea between breakfast and lunch, it had become apparent that Colyn was kind of self-centered.  Everything was all about him and how he could get back at his mother.

Boring.

She’d committed herself, however, and would see this through out of sheer stubbornness.  Probably not the best course of action to take….  She’d tried to be fascinated by his topics of conversation, but it was getting tiresome to pretend she cared.  How could she have even guessed how boring he’d actually be that first day?  Maybe if they’d all let her talk to him right then, she wouldn’t have wasted two days on him.

Five paused in her crawling as his voice dropped low, nearly too low to hear.  Wait.  Had he just said what she thought he’d said?  Yup.  There it was again.  He was muttering about her ‘big, glorious boobs’ and how he was going to ‘touch them good’ when they reached that storage room.

Touch them good?  She shook her head and glanced down at her chest.  They weren’t _that_ big.  The clerk in the store Two had taken her to had said her bra size was a common one.  Sure, it was one of the larger sizes, but it was common.  It _was_.

After a moment of temptation to crawl a different direction at the next junction and leave him wandering alone in the vents, Five followed him instead.

See this through, she told herself.  Just a few more hours.

It had also become obvious that Drea was pretty good at her job.  She’d backed up several of Colyn’s wilder stories as true.  Since Colyn was still living, it meant Drea was a kick-ass bodyguard.  Between the two, she was turning out to be far more fascinating than Colyn.  Five wouldn’t mind having a long chat with her and hearing some of _her_ stories.

Six had suggested Five consider that career path.  He just wouldn’t quit with trying to get her off the Raza.  Still, it was an idea she could say she was considering.  It might make him let up a bit.

In response, Drea had begun listing ways Five’s life thus far would be an asset in that field.  Her skills would be well served in saving some lucky person’s life and because she was not only a girl, but small, people would underestimate her.  She’d been interrupted by Colyn, who’d apparently decided that attention had been off him long enough.

She sighed.  This hadn’t gone according to any of her plans at all.  She’d been blocked in some way by every member of the crew, including Two and the Android, except she knew those two hadn’t planned to block her.  It had merely worked out that way.  Even taking to the vents hadn’t worked out because Colyn failed at the stealth necessary for proper crawling.

“Colyn.  _Colyn_.  Drop down to the next level.”

He did, and waited for her this time.  What a shock.  The last time, he’d just kept on going like she wasn’t even behind him.  It was taking longer than usual to sneak into the storage room because Colyn wasn’t exactly sneaking.  The entire ship had to know exactly where they were.  She was beginning to seriously doubt his claims of getting past parents and guardians.  How could he when he never shut up?  He wouldn’t survive ten minutes on the Raza.  No, five minutes.  Make that two.  Thirty-seconds?  Three definitely would’ve spaced him in a second.  Actually spaced him and not thrown him in the airlock to scare him.  He would’ve done it.

And there would’ve been blessed silence.

For a second, she felt bad about thinking that, but only a second as he began to talk about his mother again.  The guy had serious mommy issues.  And he even still had a mother who obviously cared about him.  Geez.  Baby, much?

Five thought Three might be a little proud to see her now, making Colyn go in front of her so he couldn’t ogle her ass.  She’d actually had a minute of Three’s voice in her head telling her that if she didn’t make Colyn go first, there was a good possibility she was going to have to kick him in the face and she’d better not wait if she had to.  A good swift kick would incapacitate him nicely.

Speaking of Three….

She hadn’t been able to look at him at lunch.  She hated that he was turning out to be right about Colyn.  He was definitely a Horny Humperdink.  And while she still sort of wanted a kiss, because Colyn was totally hot, Five didn’t want anything else anymore.  To be honest, she really wanted to gag him.  What the hell had she been thinking yesterday anyway?  He might not be her soulmate after all.  Her soulmates wouldn’t annoy the crap out of her.

They approached the storage room, Colyn’s mouth running at full tilt.

“Colyn, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but will you shut the hell up so I can listen for people in the room?”

Of course, he didn’t.  Of course, he got nabbed.  It sort of served him right.  Maybe next time he’d listen when a girl was talking to him.

She snorted.  Not likely.

After giving her parting shout as the men of the Raza left the storage room, Five decided to go up to the bridge for awhile and see what Two was doing.  Maybe she could give Five some advice.

And maybe the guys could get Colyn to finally stop talking.

* * *

 

They were crawling in the vents.

Four smiled to himself at the thought of Colyn attempting to follow Five in those tight spaces.  She’d once admitted that a couple were almost too tight for her to fit through.  The boy was skinny, but not nearly as small as Five.  There was a high probability that he’d get stuck at least once.

“You’re smiling,” Six said, as if it was a rare occurrence.

“I am.”  He let his smile grow into a grin.  “Picture the boy stuck in a vent, arms and legs waving as he’s helpless to continue on.  It’s a good picture.”

“Do we have any idea where they are?”

“Besides in the vents?  No.  But Colyn will need to eat sometime soon.  He eats like Three.  I’d suggest we wait either in the mess or in storage.”

“That does make sense.”

Nyx and Drea were already in the mess, so they headed to storage.  Three was already there, sitting on a crate and working on a bag of trail mix.

He shook the bag.  “Nice of you boys to join me.  You know, the package says trail mix, but it’s all just fruit chips.  There’s no nuts, coconut, or even chocolate chips.  Just fruit chips.  Trail mix is supposed to have other stuff.”  He popped a handful in his mouth and chewed.  “This is false advertising.”

“If you’re so disappointed in it, then why are you eating it,” Six asked.

He shrugged.  “I’d already opened it.  Want some?”  He shook the bag again and held it out, offering it to both of them.

“No, thanks.”

“No.”  Four paced the room, noting the location of the vent and that it didn’t appear to have been opened recently.  “Have they been here that you’re aware of?”

“No sign of them.”  Three held up a large chip.  “What do you think this is?  Papaya or mango?  You’d think you could tell by the taste, but they taste the same.  Exactly the same.  They’re chewy, yet still a little crunchy at the edge.  Sweet, yet sour, and a little salty.”

“Mango,” Four told him and crouched down to better examine the vent.

“How do you know?”

He sighed a little and glanced over at Three.  “The papaya are a lighter shade of orange.”

“Huh.”  He studied the chip with a frown.  “They look the same to me.  Same size, shape, and color.”  With another shrug, he ate the chip.

Six leaned against a stack of crates.  “You’ve mellowed considerably in a short while.”

Three chuckled.  “I’ve had the offer of a nice bribe to back down.”

“There you go.  Maybe we shouldn’t talk while we wait,” Six suggested, which Four thought was an excellent idea, except it appeared Three was in a talkative mood.  When he got in that sort of mood, you couldn’t shut him up.

“How long have you been here, Three?”

“About ten minutes.  I came here as soon as it was obvious where they were.  Since Colyn eats like a pig, I figured they’d need to get food and it’s not like they’ll chance the mess.  It’s too obvious.  So, here it is.”  He pulled out a chip.  “Is this papaya?”

“Eats like a pig,” Six repeated.  “You don’t say.”  He shot an amused glance Four’s way.

He returned the expression.

“What are you two grinning at,” Three asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Nothing.”  Four straightened.  “I suggest we move the crates, create a path, and hide our presence.”  He gestured at the chip.  “That’s another mango.”

“Damn.  Thought I had a papaya that time.”  Three dropped the chip back in the bag and jumped down from the crate.  He set the bag down.  “Let’s get a path set up.  They should be here soon.  Another five, maybe ten minutes I’m guessing.”

“If they’re coming here for food.”  Six still seemed skeptical.  He stacked two smaller crates and carried them over.

Four moved one crate with Three’s help.  “Even if they aren’t looking for food, Five will want a private, quiet place for Colyn to kiss her.  They’ll be coming here.”

He was right, too.  For that matter, so was Three.  It was only ten minutes before they heard Five and Colyn’s low voices and the sound of the grate being shoved opened.  Colyn never stopped talking, despite Five’s urging to shut the hell up so she could listen.

An anticipatory smirk curved Three’s lips.  He appeared to have his sense of humor back and was enjoying himself once more, a twinkle appearing in his eyes.  The bribe had done him some good.

It was easy to grab the boy.  He got out of the grate and stood up, backing towards them and keeping up a steady stream of words right up until he hit the wall of Four, Six, and Three’s bodies blocking the small corridor they’d made of boxes.

“Well, shit,” Colyn said.

Five, however, crawled back into the vent as soon as she saw them.  Four was amused by the fact that she hadn’t called out a warning to Colyn when she’d had ample opportunity to do so.  Was true love fading?  It seemed so.

“They’ve got me, my love,” Colyn yelled.  “Crawl for safety!  I’ll hold them off!”

He certainly had his mother’s flair for the dramatic.

“Hi, guys.”  He turned, one of those idiotic grins on his face.  “Help you with something?”

“Come along, Colyn,” Four said, grasping him firmly by the arm.  He touched his comm with his other hand.  “Nyx, let Drea know we’ve got him and are bringing him up.”

Three crouched down by the vent.  He appeared to be gauging whether or not he’d fit inside it.  “The jig is up, kid.  Come on out of there.”

“No,” she yelled back.  By the sound, she was just far enough in that they couldn’t reach in and grab her.  “You can’t make me!”

“You can’t stay in there forever.”

“Watch me!”

Three stood and stepped back over to where he’d left the trail mix, picking up the bag.

“I’m hungry,” Colyn announced.  “Is that trail mix?”  He gestured at the bag.  “That brand sucks.  They never have any papaya chips even though they advertise they do.  It’s false advertising.  Is that bag empty?”

Three dumped out the dregs in his hand and ate them.  “It is now.”

Colyn gasped.  “Mean.  You’re mean.”

“Deal with it.”  Now he picked up a bag of something else, opened it, and popped a handful without looking to see what it was.  He made an odd choking noise, his eyes watering to tears and jaw clenching visibly before he swallowed.  He held the bag out to Colyn.  “Have some if you’re so hungry.”

Colyn took the bag and an even bigger handful than Three had taken and shoved it in his mouth.  His reaction was the same, only he gagged a little as well.  “Awesome,” he choked, apparently not willing to admit that whatever it was wasn’t tasty any more than Three.

Six took the bag, closed it, and gestured to the door.  “We should get back to the mess and wait for Five to come out.”

“You’ll be waiting awhile,” She yelled from the vent.

“Stay hidden, my love,” Colyn called back.

Three slapped him on the back of the head.  “Shut up already.”

It was a far lighter slap than Four was considering giving the boy.

“Child abuse!  I’m being abused!” Colyn yelled, to which Three pulled Lulu and shoved the gun against Colyn’s cheek.

“How about dead?  You like that one better, because I can make that happen?  Right here, right now.”

“No.”

“You shutting the hell up?”

“Shutting up, sir.”

Six set the bag down with a sigh and started for the door.  “Come on.”

Four let Three take hold of Colyn and paused to pick up the bag.  It was a seaweed snack mix, with ‘real squid, chipotle and horseradish’ flavoring, extra-spicy.  He took out one and tried it, then nodded and took the bag with him.  Babies.  These were mislabeled.  It was the mild mix.

* * *

Three, were he on the bridge at that moment, would claim that all hell was breaking loose.

Two was going to make sure that didn’t happen.  She had no patience for the rival mercenary ship that had dropped out of FTL beside them and demanded they surrender and hand over Colyn Fortuna or be destroyed.  They had some nerve doing it near the planet right when the Android was contacting the Fortuna staff to make final arrangements and they were so close to having that boy off their ship.

She shook her head.  “Android?”

“Yes, Two?”

“Can we stop them?”

“We can destroy them.”

“Do it.”

The altercation was over in minutes, the other ship destroyed without hardly a fight at all, and Colyn was going to be off their ship in about two wonderful hours.  She felt her shoulders relax and turned to find the entire crew, including their guests watching.  “What?”

“We just blew up another ship.”  Six seemed shocked by that, though he really shouldn’t be.  He should’ve known this would be the outcome the second Drea had mentioned the unsavory individuals gunning for Colyn.

“I did say there was a potential situation and that we were monitoring it.  It escalated and we took care of it.”

“Damn,” Colyn murmured.  He glanced at Five.  “I think she’s scarier than your dad is.”

“He’s not my dad, idiot,” she snapped.  “How many times do I have to tell you that?  Do you ever listen when a girl talks?”

Two raised her brows a little and exchanged a glance with Nyx.  Trouble in paradise?  They’d said the shelf life on guys like Colyn was two days.  It had been two days. 

“Here you thought we wouldn’t have to kill anyone or blow anything up,” Three murmured with a satisfied glint in his eyes.  “It’s like you still don’t know us.”  He smacked Six on the back with one hand and grinned.  “I feel good now.  Anyone else feel good?  Let’s get the boy dropped off and collect our money.  We almost there?”

“Two more hours,” the Android supplied.

Four released Colyn, who edged over to Five and slung an arm around her shoulders.  “I can’t wait to introduce you to my mom and tell her I’ve found true love.  She’s going to go ballistic!” 

“You’ve known each other two days.  That’s hardly enough time for such deep and lasting emotions to develop,” Four pointed out in a calm voice.

Drea rolled her eyes.  “Oh Colyn, it’s always love with you.  Maria, Cindy, Amara, Kirsty….  You always say it’s love and it never is.”

Five frowned and shrugged his arm off her shoulders…and kept shrugging when he continued to try to put it back.  “Always love,” she repeated, though Two didn’t think she was actually upset.  “Why am I not surprised?”

“They’re no one.  Really.  They didn’t mean a thing.”

Three, Four, and Six all winced to varying degrees.

“Bad move, Romeo,” Three murmured.

Colyn started backpedaling as fast as he could.  “Five.  Baby.  I never loved them. _You’re_ the one I love.  Really.  I love everything about you.  I’ll do anything for you.  The time we’ve spent together--”

“Name one thing you love about me,” she demanded with an arched brow and crossed her arms.

“Um….”

“One thing that isn’t directly related to pissing off your mother…or the size of my chest.”  She nodded.  “Yeah, you thought I didn’t hear the comments you made that were not quite under your breath about touching my ‘big, glorious boobs’, but I did.  I heard every single word.”

Two crossed her own arms.  This was a train wreck and they were all just standing there watching it happen.

Nyx leaned against one panel.  The Android turned to watch as well.  Four’s eyes narrowed, Six shook his head, and Three grinned and leaned against the nearest panel, obviously loving Colyn getting chewed out by Five. 

“Well….” Colyn smiled.  “You’re smart.”  It might have worked if he hadn’t said it like he was grasping at straws.

She shoved him away from her and put one panel between them, moving until she was beside Nyx.  “I can’t believe I almost let you kiss me.  Dumbass.  You know, you’re lucky you didn’t try to touch my big, glorious boobs, or you would’ve gotten a throat punch and maybe even a groin kick.”

Almost kiss?  Two smiled to herself.  It looked like she was going to be the winner of that bet with Three.  She glanced over at him to see if he’d noticed he’d lost.  He shrugged a little as if to say ‘win some, lose some’.  Not that he was going to be disappointed in having lost.  Oh no, he was still going to enjoy paying out….

“But….  True love?”

“Don’t talk to me, Horny Humperdink.”

“What?  Who is Horny Humperdink?”

Both he and Drea looked confused, but everyone else smiled and nodded at the reference.

“It’s an inside joke,” Two said.  “Drea, I think we should confine your charge to the quarantine room in the infirmary again for the next couple hours.”

“That’s a great idea,” Three said, shoving off from the panel.  “I’ll take care of it.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Want to go to a party?”

Five looked up from her depressed contemplation of the floor.  Nyx was standing in her doorway smiling.  Five shook her head.  “No.”  She’d spent all afternoon thinking about what had happened and was in no better mood than when they’d landed on the Fortuna home world.              

“May I ask why not?”  Nyx stepped into the room, her smile fading.  “Should be a good one.  From the way Madame Fortuna looked Six over, I half expected to hear her demand he be bathed and perfumed and brought up to her suite.”

She rolled over onto her back.  Five hadn’t been interested in going with the crew to take Colyn to his mother.  Not after what had happened.  She wasn’t up to facing any of them right now.  She was pretty mortified by her own behavior.  “Because I feel stupid.  I acted like a baby, an immature little girl, and I pissed off Three in the process.”  Maybe the last was an exaggeration….

Nyx came over to her and knelt on the floor, understanding in her eyes.  “I think every girl has felt stupid over a boy before.  I know I sure have.  Big time.  Even being grown up doesn’t make us immune.  It happens.  It’s normal and sometimes, they feel stupid over us.”

“Really?  I don’t think Colyn does.”

“I don’t think Colyn feels much anything in his selfish little world, but I promise you, Five, there will be plenty of boys who will feel stupid over you in your life.  Contrary to what you think, you won’t die a virgin after having been locked up on the Raza your entire life.  That won’t happen.  You still have a lot of years left.”

With a sigh, she rolled back over and sat up.  What was bothering her was that memory of the cold, hard anger on Three’s face, anger that had once been directed at her.  “I made Three mad, Nyx.”

She shrugged.  “So?  I’ll bet we’ve all pissed him off at least once this week alone.  The guy is _moody_.”

“Maybe a little.”

“A little?”  She shook her head.  “As far as acting like a little girl goes….  Five, you’re sixteen.  You couldn’t pay me enough to be sixteen again.  It’s a hard age and doubly hard when you’re on a ship like this.  You’re the only one not quite grown, yet you’re not really a kid anymore.  We expect a lot from you, more than other girls your age, and usually you’re pretty mature.  More mature than some of us even.  I think we tend to forget you’re only sixteen because of that.  So,” she shrugged once more, “so what if you behaved like a typical sixteen year old girl does with the object of her crush?  There’s nothing wrong with that.  You _are_ sixteen, almost seventeen.  It’s okay to occasionally act like it.”

She started to feel a bit better about the whole thing.

“Look, Three was only trying to protect you.  We all were.”

While she understood that, she didn’t want them to feel they had to protect her all the time, especially from the normal parts of becoming a full adult.  “I didn’t need to be protected.”

“It’s called caring.  We care about you and I get the feeling Three’s not used to caring about people.  I think you should cut him a little slack here.  He saw Colyn as a threat to you and wanted to act on that threat and keep you safe.  Maybe he went overboard.  Maybe we all did.  It was pretty easy to go overboard, because that boy was annoying.”

“I cried, Nyx.  I just….  It was real crying, too, as in snot and sobs.  I was a mess and I couldn’t stop it.  I don’t like crying in front of anyone.”

“Name me one girl who does?  And crying in front of a man?”  She shifted position a little.  “Perish the thought.”

“He looked at me and I had a reminder of how he used to be before the memory wipe.  It was quick, this flash of cold anger I saw in my head, this memory….  I knew that he’d looked at me sometime like that, like he was seconds from doing something bad.”  Nyx frowned and Five sighed.  She didn’t seem to be explaining herself very well.  “It wasn’t a present look in his eyes and on his face.  The present was just frustration that I was behaving like a little baby, annoyance at that, and probably anger at Colyn.  I know that.  But having that bit of memory right then was jarring.  It brought on the tears in a second.  It was that fast.  I mean, I know Three is dangerous.  Everyone on this ship is, except me.”

Nyx reached out and grasped her hand, squeezing it for just a second.  “Don’t sell yourself short.  You have different ways of being dangerous.  You’re the subtle type of dangerous.  The rest of us are more in your face with it.”

She bit her lip before continuing.  “I’ve gotten used to joking around with him.  With all of the crew.  When that goes away for one reason or another, I feel like I’ve lost something important.”  She drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them.  “I know it sounds silly to say it out loud like that.”

“It’s not silly.  It’s understandable.  Seeing the people we care about in that capacity…it _is_ scary.  I agree.  But you can’t dwell on that.  It’s not all of who we are.”

“Not anymore,” she whispered.

“No, not anymore.  So what do you say we let all of that go and go to a party?  Everyone else is already there,” she coaxed.  “Three was looking for you.”

“He was?”

“Of course he was.  You’re the only one not there.  Even the Android is there.  She insisted Three admire her pretty party dress.  I’m actually jealous of that pretty party dress.  It’s gorgeous.  Come on.  Let’s go have some fun.”  She stood and held out her hands.  “If you don’t have a good time, I’ll come back with you and we can play cards or something, maybe watch one of those movies you guys bought awhile back.  I promise not to laugh at how bad they are.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“You’d miss the party for me?”

“Yes.  Any of us would.  In a second.  All you have to do is ask.”

Five thought about it a minute.  It didn’t make sense to skip the party completely when everyone else was there, did it?  She was only making herself miserable by brooding on it all.  “Okay.  We’ll go to a party.”  She remained apprehensive right up until Three approached with a bowl of cherries and a glass in his hands.  “About yesterday,” she started.

“Don’t sweat it, kid.  It is what it is…and I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

She shook her head.  “You didn’t.  I mean you _did_ , but not yesterday.  It was past crying.  I had a memory, a fragment of one from before.”

His brows rose.  “I’d made you cry before?”

Five nodded.  “Mm-hmm.”

“That’s not me anymore.  You know that, right?”

“Of course.  It just hit me hard right then.”  Determined to change the subject, she gestured at the glass.  “What are you drinking?”

“This is for you actually.  Here.”  He held out the glass.  It was half filled with liquid.  “You can have half a glass and that’s it.  Don’t tell Six.  Or maybe do tell him.”  His grin was a bit mischievous.  “Might be fun to see the look on his face and let him think I let you chug a couple bottles.”

Five took the glass.  He hadn’t said what it was.  “What is it?”

“Champagne.  Weak champagne, too.  It’s barely alcoholic.  You could get more of a buzz off of the grape juice we picked up at that last stop.  Try it.”  He shook the bowl of cherries a little.

Cautiously, she took a sip.  “It tastes weird.”  The bubbles in it tickled her mouth a little and she wasn’t sure she liked it.  She tried another sip and decided she didn’t.

“I was hoping there’d be an open bar.  Or even a bar at all, but this is all there is.  Apparently, Madame only drinks champagne.  Explains a few things, if you ask me.  Are you going to drink that?”

“No.”

“Give it here then.”  He took it, drained it, and set the glass down on the nearest table.  “What would you think of having a cherry seed spitting contest off the balcony?  I’ll bet if we try hard enough we can hit the fountain…and the private security standing beside it.”  He shook the bowl again, obviously trying to tempt her and succeeding.

“Sounds like fun.”  She reached into the bowl and took a few of the cherries.  “I’ll bet I can spit further than you.”

“No way.  Want to bet money on that?”

“I would, but you couldn’t afford to pay me when I win.”

“Ooh, cocky.”

Five laughed and led the way to the balcony.

* * *

“How do you manage to be so wrong consistently,” Three asked, putting his feet up on the table in the mess in a blatant disregard of Two’s rules about that.  “Frankly, Six, I’m starting to be impressed by that ability.”

“Shut up,” Six replied with a frown.  He looked shell shocked and his clothes were more than a little worse for the wear.  Of course they would be with the way Madame Fortuna had been clutching at him.  It had looked like she was trying to undress him right there.

Three chuckled and reached an arm over for two glasses, pouring a healthy measure of whiskey in both.  It wasn’t the moonshine he’d gotten from Drea.  That case was tucked away in his quarters, along with a wrapped gift for Two.  Drea had convinced the proprietor of that leather shop to open up for awhile so he could shop.  He thought he might like Drea.

“The pay was good,” Nyx said, reaching into the bowl on the counter and picking up an apple.  “I’ve never seen this much fresh fruit in…never.  Apples, grapes, berries, melon.  We need fruit salad tomorrow at breakfast.  It’s not a want, it’s a need.  I want to gorge on fruit.”

Lilliana Fortuna had been rather grateful they’d delivered her son safely.  She’d paid them, fueled the ship, and given them food.  Three wondered how Six had managed to get away from her.  He was the one she’d taken a shine to and had wanted him to stay awhile, which was usually code for ‘come sex me up, big boy’.

“That woman,” Six began, then stopped.  He blinked, the frown deepening.

“Here.”  He set the second glass close to Six.  “Have a drink on her.”

“I had far too many on her already.  Literally.”  He shuddered.  “She’s into body shots and is insistent about it.”

“Well, at least you didn’t have to sleep with her.”

“Thank God for small favors and for Colyn streaking the party and distracting her.  I think sleeping with her was exactly what she was starting to hint at.”

Nyx snickered.  “Starting to hint at?  She was all but saying it outright and getting more and more frustrated that you weren’t taking the hints.”

Three took a sip of whiskey, savoring the way it burned down his throat when he swallowed.  It was the good stuff, with a low burn.  “Colyn streaked the party?  I didn’t see that.”

“Despite being glad for it, I wish I hadn’t seen it,” Six said.  “The sight of that kid’s skinny naked lily-white ass being chased by security is burned into my brain for life.”

“How did I miss that?”  Three didn’t remember any of that.

Nyx answered the question.  “You were out on the balcony having a cherry seed spitting contest with Five when that happened.”

“Kid’s pretty good at it, too, but not good enough.  I should’ve insisted on betting money.  I could’ve pried some of her rather large stash of cash from her.  Either of you aware just how much money that kid has frittered away?”

“She’s frugal?” Nyx suggested.

Three snorted.  “Frugal, hell.  She cons the rest of us into paying for her stuff by claiming she’s broke.  Another impressive talent and it’s kind of sad how we all fall for it every time.”

Six picked up the glass and shook his head.  “A cherry seed spitting contest.  The things you think appropriate to teach a sixteen year old girl….” He drained the glass and set it back down.  “Thank you.  I’m going to turn in.”

“Sleep tight,” Three called cheerfully, relishing the fact that it had been Six and not him who’d had the diva’s attention all night.  It had been refreshing and he’d enjoyed getting to dance with Two in a dark corner for awhile before sitting down to one of the best meals he’d had in months.  The way Two’s body had pressed against his….

Coming to the table, Nyx poured a glass for herself.  “What was in those bags you and Four brought back earlier?  You were both pretty pleased with yourselves over whatever was in them.  Looked like papers?  What was going on?”

He laughed at the memory of sneaking those bags onto the ship while Six was distracted.  “Oh, I may have bought a few souvenir posters of Madame Fortuna and put them up all over Six’s quarters.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did.”  He swirled the liquid in his glass.  “Five played lookout, Two ignored us, and the robot asked if Six knew we were redecorating his quarters before helping to hang two of them.”

“What did Four do?”

“He told me the posters were on sale and suggested this really big poster that had Fortuna’s jugs on full display.”

Her grin was wide.  “You are bad.”

“That one, I have to admit, is kind of frightening.  I may have nightmares of being smothered in that cleavage.  We put that one up right over his bed.”  Raising his free hand, he pointed at the ceiling.

“Nightmares?  I thought that was every man’s dream way to die: smothered in big breasts.”

“Not that big.  Turns out I do have a size preference.  Who knew?”

Six’s annoyed voice came over the comm.  “Very funny.  You guys are hilarious.”

Three laughed, rather pleased that the joke had turned out well.  Another voice came over the comm then, this one just to him.

“Three, it’s Two.  I’m going to bed.  You coming?”

He touched the comm to reply and barely managed to stop himself from making an extremely raunchy reply.  “On my way.”  He drained his glass and stood.  “My work is never done.”

“Somehow, I don’t think you consider that work,” Nyx murmured.  “Good night.”

Two was in his quarters waiting.  She was already mostly undressed.  “We need to talk.”

“Oh shit, I hate when you say that.”  He sat on the bed and removed his boots.  “What about?”

“You told her there’s no such thing as soulmates.”

“That’s because there isn’t.  The idea that there’s only one person out in the galaxy for each one of us is ludicrous and depressing.  There was no way that Colyn Fortuna was her only option.  Believe me, there are probably a couple hundred guys out there who are right for her, just not that guy and not a guy like that.  She can have a lot better than Colyn Fortuna.”

“That’s all you meant?”

“Yeah.  Why?”

She shook her head with smile.  “Never mind.  So, about our bet….”  Two stretched out on the bed and wiggled her hips a few times.  “Ready to pay up?”

“It’ll be a struggle, but I think I can manage.”  He smiled slowly and reached for her.

* * *

The alarm Three had set before they’d turned in was loud and piercing, but he was sleeping through it.

Two sat up.  How was he sleeping through this?  It was obnoxious.  She shook him.  “Wake up.”

He opened his eyes and flung out a hand in the direction of the screeching.  It stopped.  “It’s too early.”

“You’re the one who arranged breakfast with her.  Lunch would’ve been better.”

“She likes breakfast.  Doughnuts make her smile.”

“Doughnuts make her hyper.  Especially when you give her candy a couple hours later.”  When he’d said he’d bought four pounds of candy a few weeks earlier, he’d actually meant five pounds.  The fifth pound had been hidden for emergencies.  Apparently, forgetting to have breakfast with Five had been an emergency that called for sugar.

A little smile played at the corners of his mouth.  “I merely told her it was there.  She’s the one who found it.”  He sat up and tossed the covers off, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.  “Join us?”

Two slid across the bed to wrap her arms around him and press a kiss to his shoulder.  “Maybe next time.  This is _your_ thing with her.  I wouldn’t dream of getting in the middle of that.”

“Join me in the shower, then?”  One of his hands covered hers, thumb caressing her skin.

“Then you’d never get there and we’d have another incident.”

“We don’t want that.  Who knows what she’d come up with a second time?”  He loosely curled his fingers around hers.  “Is it just me or is it really cold in here this morning?” 

“It’s a little chilly.  I’ll have the Android adjust the sleeping temperature for all our quarters later.”

He turned his head, kissing her softly.  “I’d better get moving.”

She stayed in bed, a thing she didn’t tend to do, enjoying the fact that she didn’t really have to be awake yet.  Three hummed in the shower, a tune she couldn’t quite identify.  She listened to him shave and brush his teeth.  He came out naked and reached for the clothes he’d gotten out the night before.

“There’s a clean towel for you,” he told her as he pulled on his pants and fastened them.  “I put some of that soap you like in there so you don’t have to use mine.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”  He pulled his shirt on.  “You staying awhile?”

“I think I will.”

“Maybe I’ll come back and join you.”  Three leaned down, braced himself on the mattress with both hands, and kissed her.  “Could be fun.”

“I do have to eventually leave this room.”

“There’s no rule that says you have to.  Take a day off.  You deserve a break.  I think the robot can run the ship herself for a few hours.”

After he’d gone, Two stretched and closed her eyes.  Just a few minutes more wouldn’t hurt….

* * *

“Missing Colyn,” Three asked, sitting across from Five.

She snorted.  “No.  He’s a jerk.  What the hell was I thinking anyway?  He didn’t even know anything about programming or machines.  We had nothing in common.  I’m so totally over him.”

“You’re not upset we spoiled your plans?”

“No.  Here.”  She reached for the plate and set it between them on the table.  “I managed to save you two doughnuts this time.  I was actually going to make you an omelet, but someone ate the filling I had in mind.  You know, I thought it was Six taking all the jelly ones, but it was Four.  Four.  Who knew he liked doughnuts?  I sure didn’t.  Carrots, sure, but doughnuts?  Didn’t seem his thing.”  She bit into one.  Powdered sugar drifted down her.  “And he wanted to know the ratio of cayenne and water I used that one time.”

He picked up one and took a cautious bite.  It was just a plain doughnut with raspberry filling.  She hadn’t added anything extra and Three relaxed.  “Is there coffee?”

“Sure.  Did you know that Six just adds fresh grounds to the old to make a fresh pot?  Gross.  I don’t know how he can drink it.  It’s like burned sludge.”  She got up and found a cup.

“You’re talkative this morning.”

“Am I?”  She set a cup in front of him with an angelic little smile.

Three picked up the cup and took a drink.

The liquid had once been coffee at some point he was sure, but it was exactly as she’d described it: burned sludge.  He wasn’t even sure he could swallow it.  How long had it been sitting there?  Since yesterday?

“Did you want me to make you a new pot,” she asked in an innocent tone.

He should’ve known by that smile, or rather that devious smirk.  He spit the liquid out in the cup.  “Very funny, kid.”

She giggled.

“Could I get some real coffee now?”  He sat back in his chair and watched her make fresh.  “Oh yeah, and some heat back on to my quarters would be good, too.  Were you trying to freeze us out?”

Her giggle turned into a laugh.  She must not be too upset at all since her little pranks were actually little ones.

They were cleaning up by the time Six came in and went straight to the coffee carafe. 

He poured a cup, tasted it, and frowned.  “Man, this is weak coffee.  What happened to the pot I made earlier?”

They laughed and left, Five to whatever she had planned for the day and Three to his quarters.  Here was hoping Two was still in bed, because he had a few ideas of how to pass the time….


End file.
